Dangerous Liaisons
by Ludi Ling
Summary: Jun and Lei are sent in to infiltrate the Mishima Conglomerate, but Jun finds herself inextricably entwined with the life of Kazuya and with that of his rival, Lee Chaolan. JunKazuya, JunLee. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

**Note:** This follows the story of the second Tekken tournament. It promises to be rather long, complex and epic, and will introduce a huge cast of characters who have hidden agendas and complicated interactions. It should also link up pretty well to Tekken 3, and I might consider doing a sequel if I ever have the time. 

Please note the characters are copyrighted to Namco, except for Akio Yumiko, who belongs to me and my sister. 

This story was written and completed in 1999. 

* * *

**Prologue **

It was two years ago, in the summer of 199X.

In the centre of the city of Neo-Tokyo stood, as it still stands today, in the middle of the lights and the concrete, tall and grey and president over all the other skyscrapers about, the Mishima Building, the home of the vastly rich and powerful Mishima Conglomerate and its employees. Staid and business-like these people waded through the sprawling metropolis, clutching their briefcases, in a dark, ambiguous world of their own. Outsiders, bathed in the neon lights of the capital, stopped and stared at the black-suited men and women.

Yes, shadowy, no doubt; and yet, behind that dark facade rested something murkier still. For, on the other side of closed doors, in the tallest pinnacle of the Mishima Building sat an unknown number of men and women around a highly polished table, deep in conference.

These were the true members of the enigmatic financial group.

And at their head was a man named Heihachi Mishima.

It was at this time that Heihachi had heard of the King of Iron Fist Tournament, a competition that set the world's best fighters against each other. Although unlikely, for some unknown motive Heihachi decided to sponsor that year's annual contest.

And that was where it began.

From all corners of the globe the most outstanding fighters gathered in Neo-Tokyo's Mishima Building for the big event. Amongst their numbers were eight; eight fighters who were to become the worthy finalists of the world-renowned tournament. These were Paul Phoenix, Michelle Chang, Marshall Law, and Nina Williams; two mysterious contestants, King and Yoshimitsu, and the android Jack. And last of all was a young man, Kazuya Mishima, spurred on by a thirst for revenge, born out of a violent and twisted hatred for his tyrannical father…

These eight pitted themselves against the unknown as, one by one, conglomerate insiders were sent forward to eliminate them, and prevent them from reaching the ultimate goal of winning the tournament and earning the title of 'King of the Iron Fist'. But what awaited them at the end of the their battles was a mystery no one was certain of.

Time passed, and eventually those who had been sent to defeat them had defeated seven of these contestants. Only one of these was left standing, and this was Kazuya. He passed on to the last and final battle – and as fate had decided the last round was between him and his hated father, Heihachi.

The murky enmity that had sprung between them fired the battle with rage and blood, and at last, Kazuya emerged victorious. But the glorious 'King of the Iron Fist' meant nothing to him. In the aftermath of the tournament, he stole away to dispose of the lifeless body of his father. With an almost mechanical surge of something sinister and evil, the young man remorselessly threw Heihachi from a craggy cliff-face. And as he turned to leave the place behind, the red scar on his chest seemed to glint as red as blood in the faltering sunlight.

And so it was that Kazuya took his place at the head of that shadowy table and became the head of his father's empire. At first he listened to the words of those who sat about him, the very people who'd been sent to bring about his demise. And then he began to retreat more and more into the seclusion of his quarters, on the topmost level on the tallest of towers, and there he took counsel from a shadowy stranger.

Two years have passed, and now Kazuya hears rumours that Heihachi has risen from the grave. His mind inflamed by the words of his dark companion, and his heart ablaze with the old hate, Kazuya longs to destroy his father once and for all. The only solution was to lure him into a trap – just as Heihachi tired to lure Kazuya two years before – with a second Iron Fist Tournament.

…And thus begins the story of Tekken…


	2. Innocuous Introductions

**:: I :: Innocuous Introductions**

It was through her work that Jun Kazama first heard of the Mishima Conglomerate and the Tekken tournament. Which had been strange because Jun worked for the Watch of World Wildlife Commission, or the WWWC. She had not even guessed that this unlikely link with the enigmatic financial group would have embroiled her in such intrigue. And yet, even from that uncertain beginning she had been inexplicably drawn to her fate.

Jun loved animals. She had done so even when she was a small child. It had been natural that she should join the Commission. Jun was gentle, placid, reflective; an efficient and dedicated worker; someone reliable and trustworthy, yet not without a sense of humour. Jet-black hair framed an oval face, brown almond eyes were set soft and pensive. Disciplined, often quiet, practical, like most Japanese. At the age of fifteen, Jun had been on holiday in Hong Kong, and there had met an old man who called himself Wang. He worked in Japan, he had told her, and he studied the martial arts. Stunned at the strength of the old man, of his graceful moves and fighting style, Jun was fuelled with an unexpected desire to learn all that he had shown her. When she had returned to Japan, Jun had sought out the old man, and became his pupil. In time, their zest and enthusiasm to teach and learn brought out a special bond that drew them closer together, and Wang soon became not only the young girl's sensei, but her mentor as well.

When at last Jun finished her training, Wang said goodbye to her and disappeared from his dojo. That was when Jun was eighteen. And now, at twenty-two, she had not seen him since. It was strange; she often thought about those three short years in the old man's company – as though something were calling her to remember.

* * *

"Good evening, Miss. Kazama. I have a very important assignment for you."

Jun entered the Director's office and took her seat without expecting anything out of the ordinary. She was obviously being sent out to investigate something – a crime syndicate dealing in illegal animal shipping; an undercover operation into underground traditional medicine stores that unlawfully poached tigers; a whale-napping no doubt.

"I _was_ going to ask for a vacation, sir," she began, a little begrudgingly. "You _know_ I'm due for a sabbatical."

The Director smiled. He was used to Jun's little ways, especially the fact that she tended to drop her usual tact whenever she was in his presence. She was one of the few female operatives that he employed, and subsequently Jun often took to fencing with him, and he with her. Having said that, he was fond of her, and he liked the way she was so serious about their little games.

"Unfortunately Miss. Kazama, something's cropped up recently, and I'm afraid that you're the best person for the job."

"Oh?" There was the familiar sparkle of fervour in her gentle brown eyes. The Director continued.

"This is to be strictly confidential, Miss. Kazama. My superiors have informed me of the nature of this investigated, and it involves a very powerful man. I don't want you to go trampling on his flowerbeds."

Jun pretended to think about it. It didn't make sense to her. What was the point in this assignment if she had to keep a certain amount of respect for the enemy's 'flowerbeds'?

"I'm not interested," she said firmly, a note of finality in her voice. The Director's face seemed to wither.

"I don't think you understand, Jun." He said her name delicately. "But this is of the utmost importance. If you survive the job, I'll guarantee you a promotion."

"_If_ I survive?! You mean I could get killed?!" she shot back. The Director's face withered a little more.

"You could die at any time in this business, Jun. But this time, it's a little different."

Jun held his gaze for a moment. What did he mean?

"I'm intrigued," she finally admitted. "Give me the details and I'll assess the situation."

Normally the Director would have said that _he_ was the one to assess the situation, but he knew that Jun was the only one for this job and he badly needed her cooperation. After a short pause, he pressed a button on a remote control on the desk beside him. Behind him a panel of wall slid away with mechanical precision to reveal a large, wide screen. Swivelling round in his seat, the Director pressed once again on the remote control and the screen buzzed into life.

"I have a video that I think will interest you, Miss Kazama," he continued, reverting to a more business-like tone. Another touch of a button, and the fuzz on the screen gave way to a landscape scene of a bustling Neo-Tokyo road. The camera angle focused onto a black figure a little way in the distance. Slowly, the center of the camera's attention drew nearer, and as Jun looked closer she saw it was a sleek black limousine that she was gazing at. The camera followed the car as it travelled down the road and came to a stop outside a building that Jun recognized immediately.

"The Mishima Building?" she mused, raising an eyebrow. The Director nodded.

"Watch carefully. There's more to come."

Jun obediently reverted her gaze back to the screen. A well-groomed chauffeur dressed in black had emerged from the car and was now opening the back door for his passenger. Out stepped two bodyguards – and lastly, the man they were there to protect. The Director paused the video.

"That, Miss Kazama, is the man you are being sent to investigate."

Jun gazed up at the man on the screen. She too froze at the sight of him, though she could not imagine why. There did not seem to be anything extraordinary about him. he had the demeanour of a well-off businessman, dressed in dark black suit, tie, brightly polished shoes – no, at first glance he looked like any one of those high-flying executive types you might chance upon on the streets. It was as the camera zoomed into the man's face that Jun suddenly felt as though something was not quite right.

The face was strong, sure, serious. Long, black hair had been swept back into a unique hairstyle that seemed to draw attention to his looks even more. The eyes were brown, and very dark. It was in his eyes that Jun saw that first inkling of hatred, and more than that; a sinister sort of presence that almost frightened her. Under normal circumstances she would have considered him handsome; but the strange glint in his eyes transformed her perception of him. And yet she remained curiously drawn to that look.

"Who is he?" she asked, after a pause during which she could barely breathe. The Director turned to look at her.

"This is Kazuya Mishima. He is the Chairman of the Mishima Conglomerate. Two years ago, he took part in the Tekken Tournament and overthrew his father, Heihachi Mishima. The actual whereabouts of his father are now unknown, and there are suspicions that he has been murdered."

"Is this part of the investigation?" Jun probed.

"In a way, yes. But there's more."

The video started to roll again, and the camera followed its subject from the car and to the dark glass doors of the Mishima Building. As he approached the rotating portals, someone moved out from behind to meet him. This man was black, tall and lean, and the austere suit he wore did nothing to detract from the cocksure arrogance of his looks. Once again, the video froze.

"This man is known as Bruce Irvin, an associate of Mr. Mishima's. He's also known to be involved with the criminal underworld. He's currently wanted by the Hong Kong police." The Director passed her a sidelong glance. "So, we've decided to cooperate with them on this assignment."

"You mean I'm being assigned a partner?"

"Exactly what I mean." He smiled wryly at her. "I know you may not like this, but the Hong Kong police have assigned one of their best to work with you on this mission. His name is Lei Wulong."

"Lei Wulong? I've heard of him. They call him the Hong Super Cop."

"And not without reason. Followed through on all his cases. The guy's hot shit, Jun, real hot shit."

Jun half frowned.

"Excuse me, sir, but aren't we _supposed_ to be investigating endangered species?"

"Of course." The Director nodded. "The Mishima Conglomerate are known to deal illegally with animals under their Rare Species Export Division. We believe that this is a front for their R&D Department. There have been numerous reports of bizarre tests being executed on animals. I want you to find all the evidence you can to nail Mr. Mishima once and for all."

Jun glanced over the files that her boss had handed her quickly. There was obvious evidence of the breaching of several of the international laws recently stipulated by the Geneva Convention. However, it was also self-evident that there were other reasons for bringing down the Mishima Empire. Teaming up with Lei Wulong, who was also a member of Interpol, made that fact plain. So, she thought wryly, the animal testing and Bruce Irvin is just a pretext. Looks like Kazuya Mishima's the real hit. I wonder why they're _really_ after him…

Jun threw the papers back on the table.

"What's the brief?"

The Director leant forwards, crossing his arms over the table.

"I want you to enter the Tekken tournament, Jun. That's the easiest way of getting into the Mishima Building and working covertly from the inside."

She was surprised.

"Me? Enter the tournament?"

"Exactly why I said you were the only one for the job, Miss Kazama. You and Mr. Lei will enter the tournament and find out as much as you can about what's going on behind the scenes."

"So that's what you meant about the 'if I survive' business. Sir, it's just a tournament. I've been training since I was a kid."

"You don't know much about the Mishima Conglomerate, do you," he stated, reclining back in his plush leather seat. She shrugged. "Mr. Mishima murdered his own father," he continued evenly. "And we don't even know what half of the Conglomerate's profits are being spent on. If your true identity is revealed, I don't think Mr. Mishima will think twice about killing you."

Jun disguised the small shiver that was crawling up her spine.

"Just tell me when I start."

"The second Tekken tournament begins in a week's time. That should give you plenty of time to practice your training. At fourteen hundred hours exactly a week from now, an express train will arrive to take you straight to uptown Tokyo. All tournament entrants will check into the building at precisely sixteen hundred hours." He watched her take notes briefly for a second, then continued. "In the lobby you will see a man reading the _South China Morning Post_. You will walk up to him and ask him if you can take a look at the business section. He will reply in the affirmative – I hope you've been brushing up on your Cantonese skills. You will sit down and get to know one another."

"Lei Wulong, right?" She grimaced over her pen.

"Of course."

"Okay, I've got it." Jun replied, biting the tip of her pen and then scribbling a last few words. "And I take it we keep tight on sharing info."

"Right." He waited for her to finish. "Are we all sorted then?"

"Completely." She stood up and threw him a glance. "That'd better be one hell of a promotion you've got me lined up, Sir."

He sighed. "Yes, of course, Jun."

"And a vacation?"

He passed her a scowl. "All right, all right."

She grinned triumphantly and turned to leave the room.

"Uh… Jun?"

She looked back at her boss expectantly.

"Come back alive, okay?"

She smiled assuredly at him and nodded her head before leaving the room.

* * *

At two O'clock the following week, Jun arrived at the station with a single packed bag, ready to begin her trip to the Mishima Building. Despite the fact that she had been through this sort of thing plenty of times before, she felt surprisingly nervous. There was something somehow sinister about the company she'd been sent to investigate. The Mishima Conglomerate was known as the name you could trust in financial management, was prestigious and highly regarded. It seemed strange to her that they should be dealing with so much shady business on the inside. True, most companies had their flaws, but, even though Jun was relatively experienced in these matters, she got the feeling that she was plunging into the deep end with this mission.

She arrived outside the Mishima Building at approximately three O'clock. That left her with an hour to get a feel for the place before the contestants gathered together for an audience. An audience? Sounded as if she was dealing with royalty, rather than the chairman of a conglomerate.

Jun passed through the dark rotating doors and stepped into the draft of cool air from the ventilation shaft above. The atmosphere was not unpleasant, yet a shiver still tingled up her spine. The reception hall was airy and spacious and was decorated in white and black marble. A receptionist sat behind a highly polished desk, looking solemn in black pinstripe. Jun took in a short breath and walked forward, her images of black-clad mafia types fading away somewhat. As she approached, the woman noticed her and smiled, a false sort of smile, the kind air hostesses would throw your way, but it was a smile nonetheless.

While signing in, Jun took a quick scan of the page to see if her prospective partner's name was anywhere to be seen. Yes, there was his name. Lei Wulong, and his signature nearby in scrawled Chinese characters. So he was here already. Jun breathed in a sigh of relief. At least everything was going according to plan.

* * *

The building was quite passably nice, and there was nothing really ominous about it at all. Like most buildings of its kind, the Mishima Building oozed modernity and efficiency, cold elegance and streamlined style. It was the sort of building that welcomed you like a bank did, a place where you knew your possessions would be safe, and therefore your well-keeping. Jun did not get the impression that stolen animals and gruesome experiments were on the Mishima agenda at all.

She went for a cup of copy while she was waiting, and then wandered into the lobby. There were a lot of people there, competitors like herself, she guessed. A lot of them she recognised from the previous tournament – fighters like Paul Phoenix, Michelle Chang and Marshall Law. She passed over these quickly however, until at last her eyes caught sight of a man sitting by himself, reading a newspaper. _South China Morning Post_.

Looking casual and unconcerned, she walked up to the man and addressed him amiably.

"Mind if I have a look at the business section?"

The man lowered his paper and they both stared at each other for a split second. Jun always found first impressions like this useful. It always gave her a clue as to how they would get on as partners.

Lei Wulong's was a face Jun knew only from TV reports, documentaries and newspapers. The so-called Hong Kong super cop had a face full of expression, one that gave the impression of a sharp wit and an intrinsic stubbornness. And of a maverick, like herself. A man with the tenacity of a lonewolf.

"_Mo mun tai_," he answered with a neutral countenance. _Mo mun tai_. _No problem_. The secret sign. Jun sat down and he handed her the business section. She scanned it briefly, feigning interest. After reading a few more lines, Lei carefully folded up the newspaper.

"So, you're a contestant too, I take it?" He spoke in fluent Japanese. Jun laid the paper on her lap, nodded.

"Hm." He half grinned. When he next spoke his tone was lower. "So, you're with the WWWC."

"And you're with the Hong Kong police."

"Actually, I'm with Interpol, but yes, I'm based in Hong Kong."

"I hear you're after a certain Bruce Irvin," Jun inquired after a pause. "What's he done to offend Interpol?"

Lei visibly bristled at the mentioning of Bruce's name. "Bruce Irvin? He's big up the criminal food chain. Drugs – cocaine, heroin. Trade he became acquainted with during his Thai boxing championship days. Fly-by-night, you could say. We suspect he's been heading a whole drug empire connected to the Mishima Conglomerate. But…" Lei grinned again wryly. "Bruce is just an excuse to infiltrate the Mishima empire as a whole." He turned to Jun. "And you're here for…"

"Animal testing. Reported bizarre experiments connected to the Rare Species Export Division."

"Another excuse to catch the big fish, huh?" He grimaced. "Kazuya Mishima."

Jun shivered instinctively at the name. "I suppose so."

Lei smiled once more and fingered the edge of the newspaper at his knee. "I'll be honest with you, Jun. I wasn't expecting them to assign me a female partner."

"Oh I get it." She gave him a level glare, her eyes glinting sharply. "Old school, right? I should've known from the way they describe you in those TV reports."

His gaze was just as level as hers, but she caught something deeper in the look – a hint of bitterness? Pain?

"Old school, maybe," he replied dryly. "But for a reason. In my experience, women tend to get too emotionally involved in their work." He watched her visibly bristle at his words. "No disrespect, Miss Kazama. But I need to be assured that you and I are going to be able to work together – ah – efficiently."

Jun stared at him indignantly. "You don't need to worry," she said coldly. "I'm a highly trained operative. And probably a damn sight more qualified than you are. And I don't take crap from anyone. _Anyone_. Got that?"

He grimaced at the thinly veiled warning. "Just want to be sure, is all," he said. Before Jun could make a reply, an intercom suddenly switched on, and a female voice, tinny but pleasant, spoke through a loud speaker.

"Would all tournament competitors now gather in the main hall for an audience with Mr. Mishima. Thank you."

The intercom clicked off and there was a general murmur as everyone began to herd out of the room.

"That's the round-up call," Lei stated, standing. "Come on, we'd better go."

"I can take of myself, thanks," Jun scowled at him, almost immediately regretting it. She wasn't exactly getting off to a good start with Lei, which worried her. As a rule, Jun liked to get on with her partners. It made things a whole lot easier. She sensed that working with Lei was not going to be easy.

* * *

She and the others gathered in the main hall, and sat down in the plush seats provided. There were not many contestants – only about twenty or so. Jun sat between Lei and the girl called Michelle, who seemed to Jun to be clearly agitated. She had thick brown hair tied back into a plait, tanned skin and dark eyes. There was a look of the Cheyenne warrior about her, but also an angular, Oriental look.

They had to wait a couple of minutes before their host entered onto the raised platform before them. Jun was surprised to see other people follow him.

"Get a load of that," Lei murmured to her in a dead tone. "We're getting an exclusive look at all Kazuya Mishima's most trusted henchmen."

Jun said nothing and took in each character as they entered into the room. Some of them she recognised. Ganryu was an international Sumo wrestling champion, though Jun had had no idea he had any dealings with the Mishima. Another was Bruce, who by far exceeded six foot and looked very intimidating. Then there was Baek Doo San, a Korean master of the Tae Kwon Do martial art. There were only two females in the party – a red-haired woman whose face was obscured by a pair of shades, and another who looked rather brazen and had the figure of some well-endowed socialite. The next person to venture in was the one who surprised her the most. An old man, Chinese, bearded, stern, a face she knew well…

"Wang Jinlei!" she gasped on a breath. Lei stared at her in some surprise.

"You know him?"

Jun shut her mouth. She decided not to give away too much of her old mentor. If he was working for the Mishima, then she'd have to talk to him about it herself.

"I used to," she finished on a whisper, but Lei's attention was now fixed on the next and last entrant to the room. A young man with silver hair and with very oriental features was following the others with a small smile on his face.

"Who's that?" Jun inquired, seeing Lei's interest in the man.

"Lee Chaolan, Kazuya's adopted brother and right hand man. The Silver Haired Devil, they call him. He could prove to be a bit of a problem."

"Why's that?"

"He's Kazuya's closest advisor, but he likes to keep tabs on what's going on outside the conference room. If he catches onto us…"

"I see," Jun replied wryly. Kazuya was getting ready to speak now and the room was in a hush. Jun stared up at the man, trying to look at him objectively. She still couldn't get that picture of him out of her head. He was an imposing man, but not in the regular sort of way. It was the hardness in his eyes; they seemed to be inflamed with a dark emotion Jun could not place. It looked ad if he'd never smiled in his life, even though he was relatively good-looking. Shivering again, Jun tried to concentrate on what he was saying.

"…Welcome. As you know, you have been chosen from amongst many to contend in our Tekken tournament. As such, you are counted as the foremost fighters in the world, and are honoured to be here. The Mishima Conglomerate takes this tournament very seriously, as I am sure you shall soon see."

He paused, and his eyes ran over every member of the silent audience, lingering only momentarily on Jun, who shifted uncomfortably. After a moment he frowned, then resumed.

"This tournament is not like others. You are all first-class fighters and therefore we do not class you by your type of fighting skill, nor your age, nor your gender. We treat you all as equals. You will battle each other, and those who win will proceed with the tournament, while those who lose will be dropped from the contest.

"The final fight will be against me, the present King of the Iron Fist. Anyone who defeats me will be bestowed with this prestigious title. There will be a considerable sum of money given as a prize should any of you win. But these should mean nothing compared to the pride and glory that comes with being known as the greatest fighter on the planet!"

There was a stir in the room. He was a charismatic speaker, Jun could give him that. His voice was full of tenuous emotion, one that could easily inflame others. She listened as he began to outline the rules that came with entering the tournament. No snooping. No leaving the building without clearance. No divulging the tournament's secrets. No speaking to the media. No this, no that. Jun began to feel a little wary. It seemed to her that the Mishima Conglomerate was secretive – a little too secretive.

When Kazuya Mishima had finished, he seemed to relax a little, though he did not smile.

"Bearing this in mind, I hope that you will enjoy your stay. Feel free to use the building's many facilities for training practice, and remember to carry your security tags with you at all times. If you would now all follow our ushers to your rooms, and you will find a leaflet that outlines all the dates, times and details of each round of the tournament. Dinner will be served at eight in the dining hall. Thank you."

Their host stepped back from the podium, and everyone else rose to leave the room. Jun headed for the door as fast as she could. She needed to get to their room to pore over the notes she had taken and to think on the best strategy to get to Kazuya. As she reached the door someone bumped into her and her notebook fell to the floor. Not thinking anything of it, Jun knelt down to pick it up, but someone reached it before her. Looking up, she found herself staring into the violet eyes of the man Lei had called Lee Chaolan.

"You dropped this," he said in very smooth Japanese, handing her the notebook with a smile. Jun stared, tongue-tied, heart racing. He was very good-looking, and the way he stared at her unnerved her.

"Thanks," she said, quickly taking hold of the pad. He nodded passingly, then stood up and left without another word.

Jun rose, her heart thumping.

She sincerely hoped he hadn't seen what she had written on the open pages.

* * *

_Next: Nina is introduced, Lei and Michelle make a deadly pact and Kazuya Mishima makes a move of his own involving Heihachi…_


	3. Bad Omens

**:: II :: Bad Omens**

Nina Williams strode into her room and flicked on the light switch. Dumping her handbag onto a nearby table, she dropped down onto the satin-soft, cream-coloured sofa and fanned herself with the leaflet that had been left on her coffee table.

Nina did not usually feel hot and bothered about things. She was the sort of woman who was all there; sexy, sassy, cold, calculating. But at that moment she was feeling _ver_y pissed off.

She cast her mind back over what had happened not a fortnight ago. She'd just finished her latest assignment when the boss at London's MI6 Headquarters had called her. Nina hadn't thought anything of it. She enjoyed the prospect of a new job. So she'd gone for her interview without much thought on the matter.

The boss had been casual about it.

"You've got an important job this time round, Ms. Williams," he'd said.

That had immediately interested Nina. She liked a challenge. It was usually only the odd crooked businessman or drug dealer she was asked to deal with.

"Oh?" She had raised an eyebrow, flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Do you mind if I light up?"

He had nodded without any expression. Nina had lit up her expensive Sobranie with ease and taken a drag.

"So who is it this time?"

"A very distinguished man who goes by the name of Kazuya Mishima."

"_The_ Kazuya Mishima?" Nina had replied doubtfully. "Chairman of the Mishima Conglomerate? You want me to take care of _him_?" She inhaled again from the cigarette. "I'd better be paid a fucking shitload for this," she muttered.

"Naturally," had come the reply. "After all, somebody very prestigious is putting out the contract on Mr. Mishima's life."

"Who?"

"His father, Heihachi Mishima."

Nina had inhaled sharply. Normally, it wouldn't have surprised her. She's been asked to do all sorts of things – husbands on wives, wives on husbands, sons on fathers, fathers on sons, drug barons on dealers, businessmen on colleagues – all sorts. But the Mishima… no way was this just small fry. Could even end up being bad news – for her.

"I though Heihachi was dead," she spoke at last.

"You're being paid generously," he told her firmly, ignoring her remark. "You'll probably be promoted too."

Of course Nina had accepted after that.

She'd arrived in Neo-Tokyo a week later to meet her new partner, a computers specialist named Akio Yumiko. She didn't much like the thought of having a partner. She'd dealt with the Conglomerate before, and preferred to work on her own.

She'd met Akio outside his Headquarters, already set to hate his guts. Unfortunately, it hadn't quite worked out that way. Akio was all there too, and he was kind of cute. Nina flushed when she thought of him, much to her disgust. He had the kind of body that set her hormones kicking in, and his insolent face and long, swept-back jet hair was the kind of look that sent her pulse racing.

"Welcome to Japan, Ms. Williams," he'd greeted her in perfect English, his tone disarmingly blase.

Nina didn't like the feeling he gave her one bit. She had been going to refuse to work with him under anything less than her terms, but somehow she'd been able to say anything meaningful. Akio didn't talk much, but he could be very persuasive when he _did_ open his mouth.

That had been the least of Nina's troubles. The worst part had come when they'd had that audience with Kazuya Mishima. She'd squirmed when she'd seen the red-suited figure come out after Kazuya.

Anna.

Nina loathed the sight of her younger sister. She hadn't changed much in the two years since the last tournament. Anna was still charming, up-front, and top-heavy. She oozed sex appeal, even in a suit. She'd always been the favourite, back when they'd been growing up in Ireland. Nina had been glad to get rid of her when Anna had gone to Japan to work for the Mishima Conglomerate. Little had she known that her sister, as personal secretary to Heihachi Mishima, and now Kazuya, would enter the tournament. That year, Anna had got the better of her.

Two years on, and the two sisters had glared each other over the hallway, re-igniting the old animosity.

Nina was determined that this year, the outcome of the tournament was going to be very different indeed.

* * *

Jun was annoyed.

Just when she'd wanted some time on her own to work out the best course of action to uncovering Kazuya Mishima's underworld, Lei had come knocking at her door.

"Mind if I come in?" he'd greeted, pushing his way through.

"Does it look like I have choice?" Jun had retorted acidly, and slammed the door shut.

"Don't do that!" Lei hissed at her. "They'll get suspicious! We'll have to pretend we're interested in each other. Then we'll have an excuse to pop in and out of each other's rooms."

"Me? Interested in you?" Jun had scoffed. "In a pig's eye."

Lei had ignored her and thrown himself down on the nearest settee.

"So, let's think of some sort of strategy to infiltrate their security," he'd ordered more than suggested, putting his feet up.

So here they were, half an hour later, without having got much further.

"There's no way of doing it in simple terms," Jun argued. "The security here's just too tight. We've got to work through this slowly and stealthily."

Lei scored the leaflet in his hands with narrow eyes.

"Well, we've got six weeks to get this done, so we'd better get to it."

"Okay then, let's do a bit of unassuming snooping around, then we can pinpoint any holes in their security system."

"Too amateurish," Lei brushed aside the suggestion quickly. "And besides it's too risky. I think Kazuya Mishima was pretty damn serious when he said that we weren't to go snooping around."

"Yes, but I'm female, and he'll probably let me off," Jun replied sarcastically. Lei glowered at her.

"All right. I'll go about things my way, you go about things yours." He stood up. "You know, I really feel like a drink. You gonna come with me?"  
"I think I'll pass this one up, thanks," she answered peevishly.

Lei shrugged in his usual way, leaving the room with a swagger.

Once he was gone, Jun threw the leaflet violently onto the table. Lei seriously irritated her. She'd have to be on her guard if this partnership was going to work.

* * *

Lei frowned as he walked towards the bar. He didn't approve of Jun as a partner, but that could not be helped. It was just that when it came to matters like this, women usually made a mess of things.

"Women," he sighed in his native Cantonese, "why is it I'm always made to work with them?"

The bar was full – the only place that was free for him to sit was a two-seater in the corner of the room. A lonely-looking girl who seemed lost in her thoughts occupied one of these seats. Lei wasn't in the mood to fraternise with the opposite sex, but he had no choice, so, with bitter in hand, he made his way to the table and sat down. The girl hardly noticed him.

Lei stared at her a moment, a bit puzzled by the girl's preoccupied silence.

"Nice place here, isn't it," he stated easily, trying to make conversation. The girl looked up with faintly troubled eyes.

"Not bad," she replied in faltering Japanese. From her accent Lei guessed she was American.

"You from America?" he asked her in English.

The girl smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes.

"South America. I live with the natives there."

"Ah." Lei nodded. He should have noticed by her tanned complexion. "What kind of fighting to do specialise in?"

"Regular fist-fighting," she replied. "What do you do?"

"Oh, Kempo, bits of Chinese martial arts. All sorts really."

"You come from China?" she asked, brow creasing.

"Well, not exactly. I'm from Hong Kong. The name's Lei Wulong."

"Michelle Chang," the girl returned, this time with a more genuine smile.

"Chang?" Lei was surprised. "Your name Chinese?"

"Yes. He was cop in Hong Kong. He married a Native American. And here I am."

"A Hong Kong cop?" Lei grinned. "What a coincidence. That's my line of work too."

"You're a cop?" Michelle's eyes widened. After recovering from her apparent surprise, she lent over the table towards him, and lowered her voice. "Lei, I have a favour to ask of you."

Lei was taken aback. He hadn't counted on this happening in the middle of his assignment. And yet he couldn't help himself from answering her the way he did; although in later years he would come to regret that he had ever done so.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Well," Michelle's face was suddenly very hard, "I want you to help me find my mother."

"Your mother?" Lei repeated incredulously.

"She was kidnapped by the Mishima. I don't know why, but I have to find out."

"Kidnapped?" Lei toyed with the phrase reflectively. Things were getting decidedly interesting. Either that or decidedly crazy. "Are you certain this is true?"

"Positive." Michelle nodded vehemently. "Two years ago the Mishima murdered my father. I entered the contest to discover the reason for his death, but I came no closer to finding the truth." She leant back her seat, eyes flashing. "Now they have my mother. I need to find out why."

Lei thought awhile, downed half his drink with a furrowed brow. If the Mishima had kidnapped Michelle's mother, then there was definitely something worth investigating.

"I'll see what I can do," he finally promised after he'd finished placing his glass down.

* * *

On the fortieth floor of the Mishima Building, a conference was being held. A storm had begun to brew outside, and every so often the fluorescent flash of lightning would penetrate into the dimly lit yet spacious room. It was a fitting atmosphere for the dark words being passed across the polished glass of the conference table.

At the head sat Kazuya Mishima, a brooding look on his face. He rarely came down to hold meetings with his advisors these days, but the tournament meant that exceptions had to be made. Eight others were seated at his table, each as sombre as Kazuya himself.

"So," Kazuya began, his voice a dead-tone, "what information have we gleaned on this year's contestants?"

Anna Williams, who had been sitting two places away from Kazuya's right side, obliged by reading from a list in her hands.

"The computers registered nine contestants who are of primary interest to us. Seven of these are familiar faces that participated in the previous tournament two years ago. Two of them are new."

"And who exactly are these 'familiar faces'?" Kazuya inquired, brow furrowed. Anna glanced down her list.

"Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Nina Williams…" A slight, savage pause; "…King, Michelle Chang, Yoshimitsu and Jack 2."

There was a short silence, only broken by Kazuya's fist smashing abruptly into the table.

"Where is my father?!" he raged.

"Forgive me, sir," Anna replied tactfully, "but our computers show no record of him."

"Where is he?!" Kazuya demanded, his eyes flashing round the company with fierce intensity. "I want to know where he is!"

Lee Chaolan, who'd been sitting at his brother's right side with a blunt casualness, spoke up.

"Quiet brother. He will come."

"I did not ask for your opinion!" Kazuya snapped, his jaw tightening and relaxing, tightening and relaxing. "I want to know where he is!"

Lee smirked and raised a cigarette to his lips. He was used to his brother's little ways. No one offered an answer to Kazuya's question. It was Ganryu who finally broke the silence.

"Er… Perhaps we should take a look at the new entrants to this year's tournament."

"Yes." Anna didn't give Kazuya time to object. Standing up, she moved to a screen at the back of the room, and pressed at a remote control. The screen flickered into life, and pictures began to appear at the touch of a button.

"This man," Anna began, pointing at the screen, "is Lei Wulong, a.k.a. the Hong Kong Super Cop." She said the words with a thinly veiled contempt. "He is a very skilled fighter whose exploits in the Hong Kong underground drug's world are well-known. We suspect he may be investigating our underground drug's empire. As such, we should be extremely wary of this man. I suggest we employ security to keep tabs on him."

Bruce, who'd been grinning at the screen for some time, suddenly laughed.

"Lei Wulong, eh? Looks like the old motherfucker's come looking for me."

"You know him?" Kazuya looked up sharply.

Bruce gave a nonchalant shrug. "We have dealings in the past." A slight chuckle escaped his lips. "Lets just say we had a conflict of interests. Don't worry, Mr. Mishima. I'll take care of him."

"I trust you will." Kazuya turned back to Anna, seemingly uninterested. "Who's the next contestant?"

Anna obediently began punching at the remote again.

"This," she spoke, as the screen changed scene, "is a Miss Jun Kazama. She works for the Watch of World Wildlife Commission. We suspect that she's also been sent to look into our Rare Species Export Division." She paused as Kazuya studied the screen with some interest, his dark eyes suddenly blazing. "She has also been seen fraternising with Mr. Lei. An educated guess would suggest that they were working together as partners."

Anna's eyes passed onto Lee, who'd been staring fixedly at the profile of the young woman on the screen.

"Interested, Lee?" she threw at him sourly.

"On the contrary, Anna," he replied casually, "I was just remembering how I helped the young Miss Kazama this afternoon."

Anna glared at him darkly, but should have known Kazuya would have no time for their little differences.

"Enough. These new contestants are certainly of some interest, and I approve of your suggestion to keep an eye on them, Anna. Make sure it gets done." Anna nodded and he continued briskly. "However, there are other things that concern me. Like the absence of my father." Kazuya's eyes blazed as he said the word. "As soon as he enters the premises I want to know about it, is that clear?"

There were murmurs of agreement from around the table.

"Good." Kazuya looked pleased. "Are there any questions?"

"I have but one, sir." The old man named Wang Jinlei spoke up. "That girl…Jun Kazama… Is it possible that I be pitted against her should she reach the semi-finals of the tournament?"

Kazuya looked surprised.

"You know the girl?"

"Yes," the old man replied in a wizened voice. "She was my pupil, for a time. It would be interesting to see how she has progressed over the years."

Kazuya reflected over the request for a moment – then he stood.

"All right. I am aware some of you have personal interests or vendettas against some of our contestants that you may or may not wish to settle. As such, I shall allot you your preferred contestant should they progress to the tournament's semi-finals. This is how it will work…"

He proceeded to allot each member his or her opponent.

Anna – Nina.

Ganryu – Michelle.

Armour King – King.

Kunimistu – Yoshimitsu.

Bruce – Lei.

Wang – Jun.

He paused, and his eyes moved to Lee.

Lee. Heihachi.

Lee narrowed his eyes. Heihachi's battle lay not with him. Heihachi's battle lay with Kazuya. Lee had already betrayed his adoptive father by defecting to Kazuya's side, and he knew Heihachi would exact his revenge if he could. Heihachi was powerful; more so than anyone else in this room – save perhaps Kazuya. Heihachi would defeat Lee, if he got the chance.

Lee stubbed out his cigarette irritably. There had been no love lost between him and his brother, and though he was Kazuya's right hand man, the title meant nothing. What was certain was that Kazuya would do anything to get rid of his hated brother. And pitting him against the wrath of Heihachi was as good a way as any of doing so.

* * *

_Next: Can Lei and Jun learn to get on? Nina confronts an elusive Heihachi and Jun finally comes face to face with Kazuya..._


	4. Hidden Agendas

**:: III :: Hidden Agendas**

Jun awoke the following morning feeling generally out of sorts. At first she thought she was at home, but remembering she was in the Mishima Building made her groan. She didn't want to be here, that was for sure. She was mostly fed up with Lei, but the whole-set up was beginning to bother her now. She had to find a way of reaching Kazuya, and then there was Wang to deal with too…

Stretching and rubbing her eyes, Jun got up, grabbed a shower and some toast. After she had dressed, she decided to go downstairs and see if she could find anything about the Mishima Conglomerate to speed up her investigation.

* * *

It was sunny in the courtyard, which was a blocked-in traditional Japanese garden. The more Jun saw of the place, the less sinister it seemed. Perhaps that was Kazuya's plan – to put them all into a false sense of security. Jun smiled grimly. If that was Kazuya's plan, then he'd have to pick on a whole bunch of stupider people.

As she was beginning to enjoy the sunny weather, a voice hailed her from across the courtyard.

"Hey, Jun! Over here!"

Turning round, Jun saw to her disgust that it was Lei. He was with a group of other fighters who were chatting animatedly. Jun half-considered ignoring him, but then relented. She knew it would be foolish to spoil their partnership any further than she had done already. So, a little begrudgingly, she walked over towards the small group.

"Lei, what are you doing?" she demanded of him irritably when she neared him. "We're supposed to be working, not mucking…"

"Shh!" Lei hushed her warningly before continuing. "Actually, I've been gathering some information that you might be interested in." He turned and pointed out a hefty-looking, blond-haired guy with a ridiculous haircut beside him, who was talking in a loud, brash voice. "This is Paul Phoenix. He's from Chicago, USA. Seems he and Kazuya have a few differences they haven't sorted out yet."

"Damn straight!" interjected Paul, who'd overhead the tail-end of the conversation. "Him an' me, we got unfinished business, know what I'm sayin'? I get to the tournament finals, that bastard better be ready, 'cos I'm gonna be the one to give him what's comin' to him."

Jun cocked an eyebrow speculatively.

"Unfinished business?" she echoed. "What does that mean?"

"Well, little lady, that Kazuya an' I slugged it out 'bout three years ago, and y'know what? I was ripped off. Hoodwinked. Bamboozled, whatever the hell you wanna call it. Bastard fixed it so that it was a draw!"

"Fixed?" Jun repeated dubiously.

"Damn straight it was!" Paul replied indignantly. "The bastard's got no fighter's sense of honour, know what I mean? An' he better be ready for me, 'cos no one messes with Paul Phoenix an' gets away with it!"

A man who looked startlingly like Bruce Lee, but who too had an American accent, suddenly laughed.

"C'mon, Paul, everyone knows Kazuya ain't just your regular pushover," he smiled, then turned to Jun. "S'all in the mind," he said, tapping his forehead. "Paul here thinks he's invincible."

"Shuddup, Law!" Paul huffed, punching his friend in the arm. "I could've won that fight, an' you know it!"

"Yeah, right," Law muttered, rubbing his bicep.

"So tell her what happened next," Lei prompted the blonde American.

"Well," Paul continued, passing Law a glare, "on account of _that_ battle, I decided to settle the score with our _dear_ Mr. Mishima. So when I discovered that he was joinin' the first Tekken Tournament, I went right after him an' signed up too.

"Well, everythin' was goin' fine an' dandy until those Mishima bastards set this bear on me! I mean, hell, I didn't even get no chance to give that Kazuya bastard a kick up his big, sorry ass!"

"They set a bear on you?" Jun's eyes were wide.

"No shit." An almost comical look of horror crossed Paul's face. "That bear beat the crap outta me! I sure as hell don't know what was up with that thing, but it was crazed, y'know? Like it was on steroids or somethin'. At any rate," Paul gave an injured look, "that animal sure hates my guts. An' I sure hate his. I don't ever wanna see no bear again for the rest of my life!"

"Paul," Lei began, clapping him on the back, "you may not know it but you've just been a great help."

"I have?" Paul looked a bit suspicious.

"Very much so. And don't worry – we'll take care of Kazuya for you."

"Hey!" Paul exclaimed irately. "Kazuya's ass is mine, got that? I don't want no girl beatin' on him for me!"

Lei prised an irate Jun away before she could start an argument.

"Cool it, Jun. We've got work to do."

"Did you just hear that guy?" She ignored Lei and glowered back at Paul, who was now talking to the group once again. "The nerve!"

"Look," Lei attempted not to laugh, "let's forget about Paul for a minute and put everything into perspective. Did you hear what he said?"

"Yeah," Jun gave one last evil in Paul's direction. "He was talking about a bear on steroids."

"Yes, so that gives _you_ something to work on," Lei remarked, poking her familiarly in the chest. Jun ignored that.

"What about you? Are you trying to get rid of me or something?"

"Now why would I do that?" he replied innocently. "Besides, I have business of my own to attend to."

"I thought we were meant to be partners," Jun commented hotly, placing her hands on her hips.

"And I thought you didn't _want_ to be my partner," Lei replied with a small grin, enjoying the scowl on Jun's face. He knew he had her cornered.

"Well, if you hadn't been a damn chauvinist about it…" she finally stuttered, sounding absurd and knowing it.

"You know something," Lei told her slyly, "you're cute when you get angry. Maybe you should try it on Kazuya sometime. Then you won't have to go snooping around."

He'd known that would make Jun explode and she did. With a furious snort she swung round and stomped off in any direction, leaving Lei to chuckle to himself in self-satisfaction. Jun was cute, but a little too much of a feminist for his taste. Underneath though, Lei knew that she was as soft and sweet as any other woman.

"Speaking of women…" Lei reminded himself as he watched his partner finally disappear into the Mishima Building, "I've got a date to keep."

With a lop-sided grin, Lei turned and swaggered back towards the bar.

* * *

It was hard for Nina to meet up with Akio when she had been so expressly told not to leave the building without clearance. Most of the contact she got with him was through cellphone; but, on the premise that she needed go shopping for some 'feminine items', she'd managed to leave the skyscraper for lunch that day.

Akio was sitting in a nearby cafe, drinking a cappuccino about an hour later. Nina dumped down her mountain of bags and sat down opposite him, pretending not to know him. She had a usual ritual she'd go through, just incase she was being followed. Fluff up her hair, cross her legs brush down her grey pinstripe Prada suit with a nail-polished hand, re-apply some of her makeup. Akio watched her with an intense look while she went through all this, one arm slung across the back of his chair. After a moment she spoke to him, trying to look as if she were asking him the time or something like that.

"Did the boss call?" she spoke to him in a low voice, hating herself for liking what she saw before her.

"Forget the boss," Akio replied easily, "you've got an important friend on line."

At that moment Nina's phone went off shrilly. Looking pointedly at her partner, who simply smiled faintly back, Nina quickly retrieved her cellphone from her handbag.

"Who is this?" she asked, curiosity mixing with perplexity. A strangely familiar voice answered her.

"Good afternoon, Nina. It is a pleasure to hear your voice again."

"Heihachi Mishima!" Nina hissed, wondering where the old man was – in a phone booth outside? Her eyes swiftly scored the busy street out the window, but she could see no sign of him.

"Ah, so my little huntress has not forgotten her one-time prey," the voice continued, followed by a raspy laugh. "Isn't it ironic, my dear? Two years ago, I was the one with the contract out on _my_ life. And now, I'm the one signing the contract. How the tables have turned."

"Why do you want Kazuya killed?" Nina whispered, her voice trembling. She remembered how she'd tried to take Heihachi's life two years before – and how Anna had been there to stop her.

"Isn't it obvious?" Heihachi continued. "Kazuya stole my precious conglomerate _and_ he took away my title as King of the Iron Fist."

"And that's it?" she questioned disbelievingly.

"Your position is not to question," he replied harshly. "Let's just say I have some 'personal' reasons for wanting to dispose of my son."

"All right." Nina leant back and took in a deep breath. "So tell me what you want me to do."

"Right." Heihachi's voice took on the tone of a businessman. "You'll have noticed that getting to Kazuya won't be easy – his security is extremely tight. Obviously, you're going to have to find a quick and efficient way of catching him while he's off his guard."

"That'll be difficult," Nina frowned.

"Of course. So what I suggest is that you use any means possible to discover how his security system works, and, having discovered any weak points, this is where we will strike first."

"All right," Nina nodded. "I check out security, and report back to you…"

"Through Akio," Heihachi finished for her. Nina pouted reflectively. She'd thought as much. "Mr. Yumiko is a very mild-mannered man," Heihachi continued with a note of cold humour. "But he can be rather – ah – forceful when circumstances push him. Make sure you stay on his good side, Nina. Scratch his back and he'll scratch yours. Doublecross me and he'll…"

"As long as I'm paid," she interrupted coolly, "you have nothing to worry about from me, Mr. Mishima."

Heihachi chuckled. "For your sake, Nina," he replied softly, "I hope so."

The line went dead. Nina passed Akio a bemused look.

"You're working directly with Heihachi, aren't you," she stated, eyes narrowed. Akio simply shrugged.

"Job's a job." He took a sip from his cup and placed it back in the saucer carefully. "If you're going to get too involved in this case you might as well give it up right here, right now. You trust me and I'll trust you. Got that?"

"I'm not too involved," Nina replied evenly, checking her fingernails idly, but feeling an inner frustration. "And it's Heihachi I don't trust, that's all."

"Why not?"  
"I've had contact with him, in the past," she explained, not quite knowing why she decided to tell him these things.

"Oh?" He looked mildly interested. "You'll have to tell me about that sometime."

Nina creased her forehead. Akio's light banter confused her, and she didn't like being confused. Luckily, the waiter came along at that moment to take her order, so she tried to forget about Akio and plan ahead instead.

* * *

An hour passed rather uneventfully before Nina made her way back to the Mishima Building. As soon as she got into her room, she knew it was time for her to take a look round. Leaving everything but her keys on the nearby coffee table, she left her room and stole a look down each end of the corridor, looking for any sign of a security guard. Luckily, the coast was clear, so she was free to make her way to the nearby elevators.

Much to Nina's dismay, every level over thirty-five required a keycard, though she had largely been expecting this. She'd need one of Akio's gadgets to get to through the keycard system and onto the thirty-fifth floor and beyond. After a moment's deliberation, she dug into her pocket and brought out one of the small devices Akio had handed her over the table that day. Pressing a button sent a small infrared beam over the keycard-slotting device. After a moment the screen went blank and then flicked on again. She was free to penetrate the upper floors.

Trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, Nina stepped out of the elevator and onto the thirty-sixth floor. This level seemed to be an office complex, for people were seated at their desks, typing avidly into their computers, the drum of keys droning insistently through the room. Nina felt a little disappointed at that. This was nothing more than a tying pool. She'd have to check out the higher floors later.

Walking confidently down the corridor, Nina looked curiously around. No one took the slightest notice of her, as the grey suit seemed to fit in perfectly with everyone else. She made her way past the group of typists and towards the director's office. Taking a snoop in as she walked past, she saw that no one was inside. This did not surprise her. What surprised her was that on the computer screen that was on the highly polished oak desk was a profile of her old friend, Paul Phoenix.

Taking one last look around her to make sure no one was looking, Nina quietly slipped through the door of the office. Pulling the blinds of the large window that viewed out onto the typing pool, Nina hurried to the computer and ran her eyes over the screen. She was faced by the statistics of Paul Phoenix, and information on his current tournament status – nothing, since the tournament had not yet started.

Nina bit her lips and searched for her glasses in the breast-pocket of her suit, then took hold of the mouse and scrolled downward. What she read of the finishing paragraph astonished her.

_'Paul Phoenix should not prove much trouble to us, as his quick temper and rashness is liable to cloud his judgement. Suggest we send Kuma to take care of him.'_

Nina held her breath. Was the tournament being rigged?

With a click of the mouse, Nina found herself staring at her own file. Quickly skipping over her stats, she hastened to read the fate the Mishima had meted out for her.

"'Nina is known to work for the British intelligence service, MI6, in London, and is a trained assassin. She was dropped from the last contest when her sister and personal secretary to Mr. Mishima, Anna Williams, defeated her. We trust that…'"

A sound outside the room startled Nina. Looking up, she could see the shadows of what she guessed were the Director and a colleague through the blinds over the window.

"Shit!" Nina cursed to herself in annoyance.

Standing, she looked about her for any signs of an escape route. Her eyes quickly caught sight of the windows that looked out over the expanse of Neo-Tokyo. Running to these, she slid one open and clambered out over the edge, just as the door opened.

Nina wasted no time in worrying about the distance between her and the ground. Thirty-six levels meant a hell of a drop, but that meant nothing to her. She came prepared for these sorts of things. Pressing a button on her belt caused a strong cable of thin wire to spring out, which she attached firmly to the windowsill. Just as she'd begun to hoist herself down, she clearly heard the evidence of her luck running out from above.

"Hey, someone's been in my room!" cane a man's voice from the room she'd just escaped from. "Johnson, check it out!"

"Damn!" Nina grimaced. If she was caught, then she was done for. Releasing her feet from the wall of the skyscraper, Nina skipped the next twenty floors or so in a near free fall.

* * *

A warm and particularly satisfying shower had left Jun in a good mood, and she finally felt ready to set about bringing down the Mishima empire. She'd just turned on the hi-fi system and was listening to her favourite CD, when all of a sudden the sharp sound of knocking at her window caused her to look up in surprise. There, dangling from a piece of cord in mid-air, was a blonde-haired woman in an expensive grey suit, bashing frantically at the glass!

Jun was used to strange things happening on her various assignments, but under the circumstances, this latest event surprised her very much. Still, she'd learnt not to question happenings such as these, and so, without much thought, she went to the window and slid it open. The woman jumped in with feline-grace, turned, pulled the cord in with her, poked her head out of the window, looked up, and then pulled the glass frame to firmly.

"Thanks," the woman greeted breathlessly. "Got myself into a bit of a fix up there."

Jun watched on in further amazement as the woman pressed a button on her belt, at which the cord snapped back inside the leather appendage like a tape measure.

"Excuse me," Jun cut in irately, "but would you mind telling me just what the hell you were doing hanging from the wall just now?"

"You don't want to know," the other replied briskly, brushing her skirt down. "Just pretend you never saw me, okay?"

"Are you a spy?" Jun questioned, suspicious now. The woman looked amused.

"A spy? That'd be something. I'd probably get paid better, if I was. Anyway…" the woman made for the door, "…I'll just be leaving now…"

"Wait!" Jun ran to the table and grabbed her WWWC ID card, flashing it up towards the other woman. "Jun Kazama, of the Watch of World Wildlife Commission." She lowered the card and took a deep breath. "Are you investigating Kazuya too?"

* * *

Nina placed down her glass of Martini reflectively and stared across the coffee table to Jun.

"So, if I'm hearing you right, I take it that there are a number of people who are interested in bringing down the Mishima Conglomerate."

"Mmm-hmm." Jun nodded. "Kazuya must have made a lot of enemies."

Nina snorted and slouched back into the couch.

"You don't know much about Kazuya, do you?"

"I know enough," Jun returned hesitantly, remembering the Director's insistence that the man would kill her without a second thought. Nina leant forwards again with narrowed eyes.

"He's not like other men, Jun. He's ruthless. A loner." She paused. "He was always like that."

"Being ruthless and being a loner isn't particularly out of the ordinary for the Chairman of a world-famous conglomerate," Jun pointed out.

"You're very naive." Nina crossed her legs and sipped from her glass again. "I told you, Kazuya isn't like other men. He's introverted to an unhealthy degree. Sources tell us that nowadays he rarely listens to even his closest advisors. He stays up on the forty-fifth floor and listens only to some strange person no one knows anything about. A man like that is a time-bomb waiting to explode."

Jun sat back and mulled over that. It seemed to her that Kazuya's shadowy advisor was the key to the mystery behind the Mishima empire.

"Shouldn't someone be looking into this 'strange advisor'?" she asked, biting her thumbnail. "Wouldn't that get us to the Mishima Conglomerate's most sensitive spot?"

Nina gave a small laugh.

"Kazuya Mishma's an influential man, and I don't think anyone's going to try anything so risky yet."

"But what if it's not Kazuya that's the danger here, but rather this secret advisor?" Jun questioned, half to herself. "Then you killing him wouldn't solve anything."

"Sorry." Nina placed down her empty glass. "But I'm being paid to take him out, and backing out know to go traipsing after a mere shadow doesn't really appeal to me." She got up and moved to the door. "Well, it's been nice talking to you, Jun. I hope your investigation turns up some pay-dirt."

Jun smiled. "If you find anything, let me know."

"We'll see." Nina twisted the doorknob, then turned as an afterthought. "By the way, as I was taking a look round upstairs, I _did_ see something that might interest you."

"Oh?"

"The bear," Nina told her matter-of-factly. "Kuma."

"Kuma? The bear that fights?"  
"So you've heard about him." Nina crossed her arms and pulled a face. "Trust me, it's no ordinary bear."

"So _is_ there animal-testing going on here?"

"Somewhere above the thirty-fifth floor," Nina answered. "The head of their Research and Development Division is a man named Dr. Bosconovitch."

"Dr. Bosconovitch." Jun stored the name in her mind for future reference. "Thanks, Nina."

"Don't thank me." Nina was already halfway through the door. "We're all in this by ourselves, Jun."

* * *

Michelle had been sitting in exactly the same place as yesterday, with exactly the same pensive look locked on her face. Lei had walked up to her nonchalantly, not quite certain of how he should act in her presence. He was used to women who flirted and laughed, but Michelle seemed just a little too intense and preoccupied for him to feel comfortable in her company. Still, there _was_ something about her…

She'd begun to chat to him in the usual way, a near whisper, with a voice that clearly spoke revenge. As the meeting progressed, Lei gradually found himself wishing that she'd talk about a lighter subject. Still, he'd promised her he'd find her mother, so what else could he really expect but a business transaction?

"So, Michelle," he started over his drink, "do you have any idea as to why the Mishima might kidnap your mother?"

Michelle shook her head slowly, the lines creasing in her forehead as she spoke.

"No…but there was something strange I noticed about the whole thing."

"What was that?" Lei asked, sitting forwards.

"Well, my mother had a pendant on her, one that she always wore on her neck. It was quite a big pendant though, one that had a lot of intricate patterns on it. She once told me it was an ancient artifact."

"And you think Kazuya might be holding her for the pendant?" Lei probed, wondering why on earth Kazuya would kidnap for an antique.

"Yes. I know it sounds strange," the girl passed a nervous laugh, "but my mother always stressed the importance of that pendant to me. When my father died, she suddenly became very secretive about it. And then…" Michelle passed a sigh, "…a few days before she was kidnapped, she became very jumpy and nervous."

Lei sat back and thought about it. He hadn't much to go on, but if Michelle's mother was being held, it was likely she was somewhere in the building.

"Okay," he finally decided, "I'll see what I can do for you, Michelle. But it's going to be tough. I have some other business to attend to."

"Oh? What's that?" She looked interested.

"I'm meant to be investigating a man. His name's Bruce Irvin."

"Anything personal?" Michelle queried.

"You could say that," he replied grimly. "It's unfinished business. I caught him dealing drugs on my patch in uptown Kowloon back home. He left the country before I could make an arrest."

"I see." Nevertheless, she seemed to sense an undertone in his voice, one that told her not to question him on the subject of Bruce Irvin any further. "Then I suppose I should thank you for taking the time to help me find my mother." She smiled, and for the first time it was a genuine one.

"My pleasure," returned Lei, feeling rather peculiar as he took a swig of his beer.

* * *

Wandering the building for half an hour hadn't brought Lei's whereabouts to light, and Jun was getting tired of searching for her elusive partner. She'd badly wanted to make things up with him and fill him in on the details she'd just learnt from Nina. Thirty minutes of unsuccessful searching had grated on Jun's pleasant frame of mind however, and now she felt that if Lei suddenly did turn up, she'd probably throttle him.

"Where on earth could he have got to?" she wondered to herself, checking his room one last time. "He can't have gone very far."

Giving up entirely on the idea of finding Lei, Jun decided it was time that she did some investigating herself. She had no idea of how Nina had got the thirty-sixth floor, but maybe she could get up from the outside, just as Nina had made her escape…? It was a risk, but Jun knew that trying to get to get to the top without a keycard was not an option, and she was bound to get caught if she did. It would be safer to search for an alternative way through. Liking the sound of this idea, Jun left Lei's room and set off for the courtyard.

Evening had been drawing on for some time now, and Jun was glad for the cover of growing darkness. Scaling the outside wall of the building for any sign of anything out of the ordinary, Jun soon found what she had been looking for. Some window cleaners had obviously been plying their trade that day, for their platform had been left, ready for use the next morning.

Jun walked up to the platform and, taking out a small torch she'd come equipped with, inspected it. It was possible she could use it to get to the uppermost floors, but actually getting inside the building was another matter. Still, it was worth a try. She got onto the platform and tugged at the leverage system, which either seemed to be locked off or stuck tight. After a few pulls, Jun sincerely wished Lei was there to help her to get the thing moving.

"Damn stupid contraption!" she cursed, giving it an extra hard pull for good measure. The platform gave a hefty lurch, causing Jun to lose her balance and knock over a bucket that had been left standing beside her foot. The metal pail clattered off the side and onto the concrete pavement, making a deafening racket.

"Shit!" Jun regained her balance and glared down at the offending bucket. Doubtless the nearby security guards would have heard the noise, and she'd have to make her getaway fast. Just as she was about to flee, a voice halted her from behind.

"What are you doing out here?"

Jun swivelled round, switching off the torch quickly as she did so, a million escape plans forming in her mind. She was facing the shadow of a man – though his features were not readily discernible in the darkness. Jun didn't know whether he was a security guard or someone else. Still, she had to find a way to bluff herself out of the situation, so she did.

"Uh…I was just walking past when I knocked the bucket over," she replied as calmly as she could. "Someone must've left it there. I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

The man did not reply readily. Jun didn't know whether he'd bought her excuse or not.

"Why are you out here all by yourself?" His voice was suspicious. "Are you a contestant in the tournament?"

"Yes." There was no point in lying about that. "I was just looking for a friend of mine. His name's Lei Wulong. Do you know where he is, by any chance?"  
The man repeated the name thoughtfully. "Lei Wulong. No, I haven't seen him. Are you sure it's him you're looking for?"

The implication in his words was clear. Jun said nothing. She was cornered now. There was nothing more she could say or do – especially if the man was armed.

"I think I'm going to have to take you with me," the man spoke, and began to advance towards her. Jun began to panic. It wasn't like her to get into a mess so early on in an assignment, what had she been thinking of? She should've listened to Lei, snooping around was too dangerous… Jun quickly tried to clear her mind. She had to act, and act fast. The man hadn't recognised her, and if she made a quick getaway, the darkness would prevent him from ever knowing who she was. She waited until he had come up beside her, then grasped his right arm and flung him neatly over her shoulder. He'd obviously not been expecting it. With a cry of surprise, he sailed backwards and onto the concrete floor with a thud.

Jun hardly looked back, racing towards the building, hoping she'd meet no one on the way. She'd only got about ten yards, however, when the self-same man suddenly jumped up from behind her to block her path. Jun stopped, astonished. It was clear to her now that this man was no simple security guard. He had jumped on her with lightning fast speed, and she hadn't even heard him come after her. Perhaps he was a fighter too. But why would he try to stop her? Unless he was one of Kazuya's cronies…

The man grabbed onto her arm, cutting through the turmoil in Jun's brain.

"I guess I'm going to have to teach you some manners." With one short, clean sweep of the arm, he smashed her neatly round the face. Jun skimmed back with the force of the strike and landed a little way off on the pavement. Sitting up slowly and holding a hand to her smarting cheek, she saw her aggressor bearing upon her again.

Rising swiftly, she turned a somersault clean in the air, knocking him down as she landed. The man pulled her down with him before she had time to get her bearings, toppling her with an uppercut.

Jun staggered into a defensive stance, her head spinning. She'd seriously underestimated her opponent, making matters decidedly worse. She knew her primary objective was to escape, but she had no idea how.

"Are you giving up so easily?" the man mocked, amusement in his voice. "Perhaps it was a mistake to let you into the tournament. We don't appreciate those who break the Mishima rules. And you _will_ be reprimanded severely for crossing us."

Jun gritted her teeth. No way in hell was she going to be taken in. Ignoring his threats, she jumped forwards with a sharp cry, arm flailed out. Grasping onto the astonished man's arm, she pulled him towards her with a jerk of the arm and elbowed him hard in the chest. The man sprawled back in the dirt, spluttering for breath. Jun stood back, panting. The fight had taken a lot out of her; the man was hard to tire out. He was standing up now, the faint outline of his arm raised to wipe the sweat from his face.

"You're good," he said. "Very good. But I'm afraid you've run out of luck. I'm not going to stop until you've been apprehended."

Jun moved back into a defensive stance. "If that's the case, then come and get some," she threw back at him.

The man laughed. "Oh, I see. There's still plenty of fight left in you. You've got a lot of stamina, for a girl." He paused and his voice became serious once again. "Well…shall we?"

Jun was just about to take up the challenge when suddenly the garden was filled with the artificial glow of the floodlights above. She blinked in surprise, eyes dazzled by abrupt transition from darkness to light. What the hell was going on?

"Lee," a strikingly familiar voice was speaking, "would you mind telling me the meaning of all this commotion?"

Jun opened her eyes in astonishment at the unexpected newcomer to the scene, but nothing could have surprised her more than what she saw next.

Kazuya Mishima, dressed in a plain black suit, was standing in between two expressionless bodyguards. In front of her was the man Lei had said was called Lee Chaolan. While Jun had suspected that her opponent had been one of Kazuya's henchmen, she had had no idea it was actually the brother and right-hand man of the mysterious Mr. Mishima that she had been fighting. The gravity of the situation was almost too serious for her to comprehend.

"Mr… Mr. Mishima!" she stammered, feeling more than just foolish. "I…I didn't know!"

Kazuya said nothing and stared at her, his face hard, as though he was assessing her. Jun flinched. That stare seemed to penetrate right through her – the more she saw of his eyes, the more she could not tear away from their gaze. After a moment, he spoke.

"Lee, I would be grateful if you could explain what has been going on out here. I am most displeased with this unnecessary disturbance."

Lee, who'd been gazing at Jun with a mixture of disbelief and wonder, finally opened his mouth, his eyes never leaving Jun's face.

"Forgive me, brother," he began, his voice laced with mockery. "But I saw this girl acting in a highly suspicious manner, and I thought it appropriate to apprehend her myself."

"I was only looking for someone," Jun put in boldly, hoping Kazuya would be taken in by her subterfuge. Kazuya's eyes moved over her again, and she tried not to shudder under his gaze. She hated the way he did that, the way he seemed to look into her very soul.

"You shouldn't have gone out by yourself," he finally told her, and his voice was softer. "You should have informed security first." He turned to Lee, and his tone was stern again. "And you shouldn't have picked a fight before getting your facts straight first, Lee. I only think it appropriate that you apologise to our guest."

There was an inscrutable look of amusement on Lee's face, one that ruffled Jun considerably. He, however, bowed politely and apologised without a hint of having been offended.

"Please accept my apologies, Miss. Kazama."

Jun nodded vaguely. She could hardly believe that Kazuya had been taken in by her excuse.

"Now," Kazuya was continuing in a business-like manner. "I shall personally escort Miss. Kazama to her room and see that no further harm comes to her." He turned to his bodyguards. "You may leave."

They did so without further ado, and Kazuya faced Lee, who was still wearing the same infuriating little smile on his face.

"Lee, return to your quarters. And see that you remember the meeting scheduled for nine O'clock. Don't be late."

There was now a questioning look on Lee's face, but he said nothing. Passing Jun one last glance, he turned and followed the two bodyguards into the building. Jun was now left to face Kazuya, but her mind was filled more with confusion than fear.

"Forgive my brother for his rashness," he said, and once again his tone was perplexingly soft. "He has not yet learnt to control his impulses."

Jun remained silent. The fact that Kazuya was washing his dirty linen in public had not escaped her and she felt somewhat embarrassed for the man's silver-haired brother. Kazuya, however, paid no attention to her disconcerted expression. "Shall we go, or do you really want to stay out here in the dark?"

There was nothing for it but for Jun to follow Kazuya back into the building and towards her room.

"How did you know my name?" she finally asked, worried and a little suspicious at both Kazuya and Lee's apparent knowledge. She had had not idea that either of them knew what she looked like, let alone her name. Kazuya, nevertheless, did not bat an eyelid.

"I like to acquaint myself with the contestants of the tournament. It gives me a chance to look at your…capabilities." He stopped outside her room, smiled that cold smile of his. _So_, Jun thought, _he obviously knows where everyone's staying in the building too_. "Here we are. I hope tonight hasn't caused you too much trouble."

"Not at all," Jun replied politely. "Thank you, Mr. Mishima."

"My pleasure."

She opened her door, but he stopped her.

"By the way Jun, you really shouldn't be wandering around the building like that. It could be very unhealthy for you."

Jun blinked at him, immediately aware of the threat.

"I wouldn't want to see you get hurt," he continued, his eyes intense once more. "So take my advice, and don't go snooping around again." He smiled that smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Goodnight, Miss. Kazama."

Jun watched him walk back down the corridor and out of sight. It was clear to her that Kazuya too had been suspicious of her, and that underneath all the elaborate etiquette he'd been sending her some pretty unambiguous threats. Why, then, had he let her go? Was he planning some other, infinitely more sinister end for her? Or had she simply been reading threats into his words?

One thing was certain. She'd have to be on her guard if she were to carry on with this investigation.

* * *

_Next: Kazuya begins to weave Jun into his web, and Lee finds himself to be a more than willing participant._


	5. Making Moves

**

* * *

:: IV :: Making Moves**

Lee Chaolan entered Kazuya's personal study without knocking. He no longer gave his brother such tokens, and likewise, Kazuya provided him with none. It was all part of the little game of war that they constantly played with each other.

Kazuya looked up with some annoyance as Lee entered. There were a number of papers scattered over his desk, but he didn't look as if he'd been studying any of them.

"Ah." There was an expression that spoke daggers on his face as his brother walked in. "Lee."

Lee ignored the contempt with which his name was spoken. He had become used to it, and he had his own methods of retaliating to Kazuya's gibes.

"I must say that this meeting of ours is rather unexpected, dear brother," he greeted maliciously. "Have I done something to offend you?"

Kazuya glowered at him, but chose to ignore the obvious taunt.

"Let us be serious about this, Lee," he began with a patronising air. "I don't like you upsetting our guests."

"Even when they go snooping around in a highly suspicious manner?" Lee interrupted sarcastically. "Have you so changed the rules you play by, Kazuya? Or is it simpy that you're interested in our Miss. Jun Kazama?"

"To a degree, yes," the other admitted, but his face grew darker. "She may come in useful to our cause."

"Oh? And how may that be?"

"That's no concern of your's, Lee. You seem to forget yourself. Just because you are my adopted brother does not mean that you may feel free to speak so candidly to me. You are still my lieutenant, nothing more."

"Thanks for reminding me," the younger replied through gritted teeth. Kazuya paid not attention and slouched back in his seat.

"Don't pretend to me, Lee. I've seen the way you look at that girl." He seemed to think a moment, then sat up straight again. "All right. I want you to watch Miss. Kazama. Make sure she doesn't do anything out of turn."

"And what if she does?" Lee questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you'll think of something." Kazuya's voice changed and there was bitterness in it. "You're very good with women."  
Yes – Lee had a reputation as a womaniser, but Kazuya didn't know the half of it. Still, assessing the situation gace Lee the chance to see that taking up Kazuya's task would give him infinite opportunities where Miss. Jun Kazama was concerned.

"All right," he agreed, after thinking it through. "I'll keep an eye on her."

And that was that.

* * *

He left the room without any further acknowledgement of his brother, turning over the latest events in his mind. Lighting a cigarette with his antique gold lighter, he stopped to think a moment more. Jun had surprised him; he hadn't expected her to fight the way she had, and she certainly had a very unique style… Lee drew in a breath of smoke and released it slowly. If he'd known it was Jun who had been out there, he wouldn't have thought her. he probably would've taken a different approach. At any rate, picking a fight was no way to win the heart of a woman.

The clatter of high heels down the passageway caused him to stand up a little straighter. It was Anna who was coming down towards him, ready for the kill. He had to admit, she looked delicious. Her voluptuous figure was clearly evident underneath the tight-fitting, low-cut dress she was wearing, and her smile was a scarlet, come-hither smile. Lee swallowed hard. He was used to women like her, but Anna always seemed to make his blood boil.

"Hey, Lee." She'd reached him, and he could smell the first traces of her expensive and delightfully sensual perfume. "Been to see your brother again?"

"Yes," Lee admitted, trying to drown the overpowering scent with the smoke of his cigarette. "We were discussing business – as usual."

"Were you?" She was getting dangerously close. "You know, Lee, you need to relax. Why not come back to my room for a drink?"

"No thanks," he replied flippantly. Experience had taught him how to deal with Anna. "I've got some pressing engagements I need to attend to."

"Well, that's shame." She was toying with him, he knew it. "Because I was hoping we could do some catching up. For old times sake."

Old times? Lee seldom lived in the past, and considering the circumstances her offer really didn't appeal to him. He was just about to tell her he really, really wasn't interested when he heard someone calling him from down the corridor. It was Wang.

"Lee, I need to speak to you a moment!"

Lee inwardly sighed with relief. As a fellow Chinaman, he and Wang got on well, and the old mentor had long since heard of Lee's troubles with the forthright Anna.

"Sorry, Anna, but it looks like I have some business to see to." Lee brushed past her, giving her a small wink. "Maybe we could have that drink some other time."

"Sure." She shrugged, looking only just slightly pissed off.

* * *

Jun had debated telling Lei about what had happened that night, then decided against it. Lei seemed more preoccupied with other things, and she rarely got the chance to meet him. Over the next few days, however, Jun didn't have the time to look into the Mishima Conglomerate, for her time was taken up by the tournament. She won all her bouts, but each time she fought she was achingly aware of the dark figure that sat on the balcony overlooking the arena. Each time she saw Kazuya, her body was infused with a feeling stronger than the last. It was a feeling of blackness, of hate, of revenge. But these were not just emotions. They were real, alive, a life or a spirit, burning to get out. Jun shivered every time she felt it. Was the hate for his father? Or for something else? Jun did not know.

There were other people who sat up on the balcony too. There was Lee, whose presence also unnerved her. She wondered if he was angry with her about the other night, but then felt stupid for thinking about it. So long as Kazuya didn't suspect her, what did it matter? Still, Lee Chaolan was a hard man to read, and his insolent good looks put her off guard whenever he chose to work them on her.

Then there was Wang, amongst others. The old man who'd made such an impact on Jun's life and then just walked out of it. He never seemed to look at her directly; his gentle, wise eyes seemed to take in a whole scene that Jun was only a minute part of. She needed to speak to him. She felt betrayed by the old man. She'd trusted and respected him, only to find he was working for the Mishima. It was imperative to her that she set things straight with him.

A week passed before she could get the chance. She'd just been happening to walk down the corridor when she saw him walking away from her, talking to Lee. Jun didn't particularly want to be faced with Lee again, but the need to talk to her old mentor was so great that she found herself running up to him without a thought.

"Mr. Wang… Sir! Wait a minute!"

The two ahead stopped and turned. There was an expressionless look on the old man's face as Jun neared, but she stopped and smiled at him hopefully.

"Mr. Wang, I've been wanting to speak to you for some time!" She paused to catch her breath. "I hope you remember me. We met in Hong Kong seven years ago."

The old man appeared to think for a moment before answering slowly.

"Yes…I remember…You're Jun Kazama."

"Yes." Jun nodded in relief. "It's been so long, I thought you wouldn't recognise me." She looked at Lee, who was staring at her wordlessly. "Mr. Wang, do you mind if we go somewhere private? There are some questions I'd like to ask you."

"I'm sorry," Wang replied, almost coldly. "But I'm busy right now. Lee, would you please take care of this girl for me?"

Jun gaped at him. This was definitely not what she wanted.

"But…"  
Wang, however, gave her no more time to speak.

"Goodbye, Miss. Kazama. Perhaps we can meet again some other time." So saying he turned and walked back down the corridor, disappearing into a nearby lift. Jun stared after him in dismay. She felt hurt now, as well as betrayed. It was as though the old man had slapped her in the face.

"So," Lee's smooth voice spoke into the silence. "You know Wang, do you?"

"Yes," Jun answered warily. "For a while."

"I've known Wang for quite some time now. He never once mentioned you."

Jun stared up at him indignantly. "Just what are you suggesting, Mr. Lee?"

He laughed. "Please, don't be so formal!" He stopped and stared right back at her. "I'm not suggesting anything, Jun. I just thought it strange, that's all."

Jun shuddered inwardly. She didn't like the casual use of first names when she hardly knew him herself.

"I considered him a friend," she answered quietly. "For several years."

"You'll have to arrange a time to see him then," Lee returned. "He's very busy at the moment."

Jun didn't believe him. There was so much she already mistrusted about the Mishima; so much they were keeping hidden. Though disappointed at Wang's reception, she had the odd sense that something else was afoot. She was about to turn back to her room when Lee suddenly reached out for her arm, stopping her.

"Wait."

She turned around expectantly. "What?"

He looked down the corridor once, twice, then lowered his voice.

"If you want to speak to Wang, you must wait for the right time. Do you understand? Wang can't speak to you so openly right now."

"Why? Is it so dangerous to talk to an old friend?"

He smiled faintly. "Believe me when I say you mustn't try to speak to him like that again. If you really wish to meet him in person, then maybe I could arrange something for you."

"You?" she repeated incredulously. Why should she put her trust in him so unreservedly? "Why are you helping me?"

"Because," he smiled at her, and his hand brushed up her arm, his fingers soft, "I want to." He looked up then, over her shoulder. "Your friend's waiting for you."

Jun whirled round, half dazed. Lei was standing at the end of the corridor, looking on dubiously, hands in pockets. Jun knew what he was thinking of her, and that she must've looked as guilty as hell. She turned to speak to Lee once more, but he was already walking away from her, towards the elevators. Jun watched his receding figure. She felt perplexed at his offer to help her see Wang, and perturbed by the way he had touched her. By the time Lei had got to her side, she was flabbergasted.

"What the hell was going on back there?" he quizzed her, sounding distinctly displeased. Jun shrugged, her voice worried.

"I really don't know," she breathed.

"Don't know? For Chrissakes, you're a trained agent, Jun, you're meant to know where you're at!"

"I know, Lei, I just…"

"You just what?" He paused, inhaled heavily, then grabbed her the shoulders. "God, Jun, don't do this to me! Don't go getting involved with Lee Chaolan!"

"I'm not!" She wriggled free and shot him a glare. "Do you think I'm _that_ stupid?! I'm just confused, that's all."

"Why so?"

"He's up to something," she replied. "I just don't know what."

Lei groaned, turned, looked up at the ceiling, placed a hand to his temple. After a minute or so, he turned.

"Okay, Jun. You're going to keep an eye on that guy. I don't trust him one little bit. So don't go giving things away to him."

"Do you know how insulting that insinuation is?" she exclaimed indignantly. "You seem to think I'm some air-headed bimbo or something. Well, I'm not!"

"Well excuse me! I see you flirting with some smooth-talking pretty-boy, and then you blame me for…"

"I was not flirting!" She stopped, trying to calm herself down. Arguing would get them nowhere. "Look, forget it, Lei. It's not like you're without fault either. Every time I find something I need to tell you, you're never there. Where on earth have you been?"

"I've been working on things myself," he explained, but his face looked a little sheepish. "Things are coming along well."

"Aren't we supposed to be partners?" Jun asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, but…" He trailed off, then glanced at his watch. "Well whaddya know? Looks like duty calls. I've got an appointment to keep." He turned and began to walk away. "We'll talk about this later!"

"Lei…!"

He, however, ignored her, and Jun was left to watch him walk away with a nettled expression on her face.

* * *

Nina, in her spare time, had taken the opportunity to reacquaint herself with her old friends. She hadn't seen them since the last tournament, and so she felt it was time for her to catch up on the latest news.

So, meeting up with Paul and Law in the bar, they were soon discussing all that had passed in the last two years.

"Nothing much," Paul explained rather glumly. "I worked for six months as a bodyguard for some rich honcho down in Las Vegas, but all the shit up there got to me, so I took to wandering again. Damn, I hate casinos."

"Been taking care of your motorbike?" Nina inquired humorously. Paul and his motorbike was something of a standing joke.

"Of course," Paul grinned. "But I hope you understand that I'd ditch that bike for you any day, Nina."

"Sorry, Paul," Nina interjected quickly. "But I'm not interested."

Paul pulled a face. "Have you been unfaithful to me, Nina? Who is this other man then, huh?"

"Now that would be telling." Nina winked playfully, then turned to Law. "How about you, Law? Did you open that dojo you always wanted?"

"I sure did," Law replied, looking pleased. "The best dojo for miles around."

"That's great!" Nina enthused. "So what brings you to the tournament?"

"Well, that's just it, Nina." Law frowned darkly. "One morning I arrived at the dojo ready for work, when all these guys were in there moving all my equipment out. I asked them what the hell they were doing, but they started to threaten me. And then this guy, obviously the leader of the gang, started badmouthing me. Challenged me to a bout, so I was able to learn a few things about him."

"Such as…?" Nina asked.

"Well, his style of fighting was Tae Kwon Do, so obviously he was Korean." Law placed down his empty glass and continued. "A few inquiries told me that this man was a certain Baek Doo San, who just happened to be the Mishima's Head of Real Estate Division. I didn't want to leave my wife and kids by themselves, but I had to see what was going on. So I joined the tournament."

"But why would they buy-out your property?" Nina asked. Law shrugged.

"Maybe they wanted me out of the way," he snorted. "And if that was the case, they screwed up, 'cos here I am, back for revenge."

"And what about him?" Nina shoved a thumb in the direction of a young man at the table behind them. Paul and Law looked over their shoulders at the melancholy-looking man, slouching drunkenly over his pint.

"Oh, you mean King!" Paul looked disgusted. "Guy's been juiced ever since he got here. Wasn't ever like that in the first tournament. Musta got screwed over, just like the rest of us."

"Well, we're all here," Nina stated, sitting back. "Except for Yoshimitsu. No doubt he'll turn up. Then we'll be one big, happy family."

"What makes you so sure he'll show up?" Law queried doubtfully.

"I heard something's going on with his old friend, Dr. Bosconivitch. So I guess he'll turn up to help him out."

"An' I heard that Kunimitsu was hoping to give him a piece of her mind," Paul commented wryly. "Them two go way back – belonged to rival clans, or I heard. Apparently Kunimitsu wants a duel to the death."

"According to my sources," Nina murmured, "there was a lot more between them than just bad blood."

* * *

Akio, however, didn't appreciate Nina talking about her 'sources'.

"If you're going to give things away to your friends, you'd be better off dead."

"I'm a trained professional," Nina told him sourly. "I don't need you telling me what to do."

They were sitting in the park next to each other on a bench, Akio rather humorously feeding ducks.

"All right," he gave up arguing with her. "So what have you found during the past week?"

"It should be fairly easy to get to the upper floors. You're little gadget works a dream on the keycard system," Nina explained wryly. "So that shouldn't be a problem. Undercover I could get to the target easily. The problem is finding out where he _is_."

"Hmm." Akio mulled over her words a few moments. "Oh and by the way, Heihachi will be phoning you at precisely…" He looked at his watch, "…3 O'clock. That leaves you with exactly half a minute to prepare your little speech."

He grinned at her as she glowered at him. It seemed to her that he enjoyed riling her on purpose and she didn't know why she let it get to her. She was still inwardly fuming when her cellphone went off. She answered the phone without giving a greeting.

"Ah, Nina," Heihachi's raspy voice greeted her. "And how are we today."

"Just fine. What do you want?"

"Did you check out security."

"Of course. Getting up to the top floors shouldn't be too much trouble, if we do it right."

"Right." Heihachi quickly took control. "It's probably too risky to target Kazuya from the inside. As soon as you strike he'll have security swarming in an enclosed space. Best thing to do is to attack from the outside."

"Outside? But how am I supposed to know where Kazuya is?"

"Akio will give you the necessary information – when he finds it, of course. Until then, all you have to do is sit tight and keep quiet."

"Okay," Nina agreed, "But Heihachi, how come…"

Her question was cut mid-sentence by the sound of a dialling tone. Switching off the call in annoyance, she turned to Akio, who was throwing bread to the ducks as if he hadn't heard a word at all.

"Akio," she began testily. "I think you've got some explaining to do."

He looked amused. "What about?"  
"Like how you seem to know so much about the inner workings of the Mishima. And how you and Heihachi seem to know one another so well."

"I have good contacts," he spoke after a pause. "Besides, what's wrong with knowing Heihachi? You did, once. And you're not so keen to talk about him either." He stood up. "Well, I'll be keeping in touch. And perhaps we could meet up for dinner some time."

Nina almost smiled at the off-handedness of his statement.

"How about tonight?" she asked softly.

"Tonight?" He was suddenly flustered, she could tell. Although he his it well, it was the kind of look she was trained to discern. "Sorry, I have an appointment to keep." He turned and gave her a half-smile. "Goodbye, Nina."

"See you later."

She stared after him as he left, furrowing her brow in concentrated thought. Evasiveness was nothing out of the ordinary for him; but his obvious discomfort at her suggestion? That wasn't like him. But then, Nina reasoned to herself, she didn't really know anything about Akio Yumiko at all.

* * *

A strange thing happened to Michelle while she had been waiting for Lei to arrive. They'd decided to meet up in the relatively quiet courtyard for a change, where they could talk without the risk of many others hearing.

So Michelle was sitting out there, by herself, wondering what was keeping Lei. They'd had several meetings since the first one, and, to Michelle's bewilderment, she'd begun to enjoy the Hong Kong policeman's company. She was just puzzling this over when she realised that someone was looming quite close behind her. Standing and whirling round, she found to her astonishment that it was the man they called Ganryu.

"Good afternoon, Michelle," he greeted her familiarly, grinning all over his fat face.

"What do you want?" she retorted, disgusted at the man's corpulent mass of flesh. "Do I know you?"

"Not yet," Ganryu was still leering at her. "But if you're here for what I think you are, Miss. Chang, then I'm hoping we shall get to know one another very well indeed."

Michelle froze. Could it really be that this horrible, sweaty man knew about her intentions?

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she finally breathed. "And how do you know my name?"

"Well, now, I know your mother very well," came the dark reply. "And she's told me a lot about you, Michelle." He leaned in, his breath on her neck causing her skin to goosepimple. "I know you've come back to the Tekken tournament to look for her," he continued softly, insidiously. "And I've come to warn you to stay out of our business with her. You have no idea of the forces you are meddling with. And if you do chance to interfere…" he grinned sadistically, "…then we will make sure that your visit to this building is conveniently terminated."

Michelle glared at him, speechless at his blatant threat. Ganryu stood back and beamed at her, only thinly covering the menacing quality to his words.

"Take care of yourself, Michelle."

He left, his parting words stinging her like nettles. Michelle slumped back onto the bench and buried her head in her hands, feeling the hot tears welling up – tears of rage, regret and passion. She'd lost her beloved father to the Mishima – would she lose her mother too?

"Michelle?"

It was Lei; suddenly he was standing next to her where Ganryu had been. "Michelle, what the hell happened?"

Michelle looked up, and found herself clinging to the astonished policeman.

"Lei, you've got to help me!" she cried between tears. "Please don't bail out on me now!"

* * *

It was night time, and the glittering neon lights of Neo-Tokyo stretched out like a vast empire from the towering window in Kazuya Mishima's study. There was a time when the sight of the city had inflamed him – he had felt power, authority; as though he owned the city, as though it was under his dominion. Now he loathed the sight of it. He loathed this tower and all the people in it. Despite all this, however, he could not run away.

Why? The answer was simple. The more he hated the place, the more he'd brood over it, and the more power he'd feel. His strength fed on the hatred and the violent loathing for his invisible father. The city was like Heihachi. Every time Kazuya looked on it, he'd see his father and want to kill it, smash it. He'd had nightmares about it, nightmares about what had happened all those years ago. Nightmares of a near-death at his father's hands. And then of that dark spirit, the one that was speaking to him now, filling him up.

He was not being himself, he knew it. He was only listening to that thing inside him, that was why he felt so bad. Some days, good days, he almost wanted to laugh hysterically about it, but those days were slipping fast. The more time he spent alone, the less sane he felt. But he couldn't trust anyone enough to talk to them about it.

He remembered Jun and that made him angry. There was something about that girl, something that made him want to reject the past, to make him feel good. _She_ was good. She emanated goodness. He despised it. Blackness was his path: he would have crushed her long ago. So why hadn't he?

Was it simply because he had been told not to?

Yes; he'd been told to leave her alone, for now. That was what his ancient friend had told him. Except it wasn't a friend. It was the only person who truly understood him.

Kazuya crumpled the papers in his hands and threw them viciously into the wastepaper basket. Profits had soared, business had grown tenfold. He hardly cared for it anymore.

Now, the only thing he cared for was revenge.

* * *

_The calm before a storm, and is it finally truce time for Jun and Lei?_


	6. Open to Suspicion

**:: V :: Open to Suspicion**

            Two days passed and then on the afternoon of the second day, Jun was roused from a mid-day nap by a desperate set of knockings at her door.  Sitting up with a jolt and wiping the sleep from her eyes, she groaned at the grating sounds emanating from beyond the door.

            "Okay, okay, I'm coming!" she muttered fiercely and stomped all the way to the door, throwing it open with a bang once she'd got there.  To her amazement, Lei was standing there, a wild expression on his face.

            "Lei!" she began in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here…?!"

            "Shh!" he cut in, putting a finger to her lips. "Just let me in, quickly!"

            "But what?!"

            She'd hardly got the words out, however, when Lei pushed himself in instead, and slammed the door shut after a frantic glance down both ends of the corridor.  When he was safely inside, he leant back against the door and heaved a sigh of relief.

            "Whoa, that was close."

            Jun passed him a look that tried to convey both her amazement and her annoyance at the same time.

            "Lei, what have you been up?"

            "Not now, Jun," he returned, breathing heavily. "I just got chased all the way from the twenty-ninth floor to this one.  It was not a pretty sight."

            "Lei, you're up to something, and when I find out what it is, I'm going to…"

            "Hey, calm it!" he interrupted, looking irritated. "God, you sound just like my mother!"

            She was just about to give him a piece of her mind when another round of harsh knockings sounded at her door.

            "It's them!" Lei hissed, diving into a nearby closet. "If they ask you where I am, tell them in the bar drinking pinacoladas or something."

            So saying he disappeared into the cupboard, and Jun was left to answer the door after an incredulous shake of the head.

            A hotel attendant was standing in the doorway, a slip of paper in his hand.  Jun smiled up at him sweetly, hoping he wasn't going to complain about Lei's behaviour.

            "Hello?  Can I help you?"

            The man's expression was deadpan.

            "I have a letter for you, from Mr. Mishima." He held out a note in his hand, which Jun received warily.

            "What is it?"

            The man offered no reply, so, after a confused silence, Jun unfolded the paper and read it carefully.  What it said astonished her more than she had been expecting.

            'I would be grateful if you could join me for dinner at eight O'clock on Friday.'

            It was signed underneath in the neat, definite calligraphy of Kazuya.  Jun stared at it for a few moments, speechless.  Despite the shortness of the note, she found it hard for the words to sink in.  She'd hardly even spoken to Kazuya, so why was he suddenly asking her to dinner?

            "There must be some mistake," she insisted, after a bewildered moment.

            "No, no mistake," the man replied. "Mr. Mishima gave it to me himself to give to you personally."

            That confused her even more.  Nevertheless she thanked the man, and once he had left she slumped down onto the sofa and read over the message another couple of times.  It still made no sense to her.

            "He's asking you to dinner?!" Lei had let himself out of the closet and was reading the note over her shoulder. "Is this some sort of sick joke?"

            "Apparently not," she replied quietly. "You heard what the man said, didn't you?"

            "Hmph.  So how come he's asking you to dinner?" Lei probed. "Did you work some of your 'feminine charms' on him or something?"

            "Don't be ridiculous," Jun scoffed, though inwardly she felt less cynical.  Secretly she was puzzled and suspicious of this invitation.  Was it a trap?  Or was Kazuya truly interested in her?  No – that couldn't be right.  Hadn't he threatened her that night last week after all?

            "There's something you're not telling me," Lei stated, after seeing her expression. "What's happened, Jun?"

            Jun considered telling him.  It seemed to her that if she didn't confide in him, their partnership was done for.  So, in as brief a manner as possible, she explained to him all that had occurred the night she had unwittingly fought Lee Chaolan.  When she'd finished, Lei looked thoughtful.

            "You know, you could play this to your advantage," he said reflectively. "Though of course, that doesn't mean I approve of what you did that night.  It was a very stupid thing to go and do."

            "Yeah, tell me about it." Jun frowned, then sighed. "So what do I do now?"

            "Okay, listen," Lei quickly took charge. "If Kazuya's truly interested in you, you can wheedle information out of him.  If he's up to something – which seems the most likely explanation considering – take the opportunity to do a little investigating."

            "You mean snooping?" Jun asked quizzically.

            "That's such an unprofessional term, Jun," he grinned.

            "Whatever you say." She rolled her eyes. "Okay, Lei; I'll try and see what I can do." She glanced up at him slyly. "So, Lei.  What exactly have _you_ been up to these past couple of weeks?"

            "Up to?" he winced. "Nothing, Jun."

            "Okay, so let me put it another way.  Why the hell were you being chased all the way from the twenty-ninth floor?"

            "Okay, okay!" he cried defensively. "It's not like it's a crime anyhow.  You see, I met this girl…"

            "You 'met' this girl?" Jun echoed, raising an eyebrow.

            "Yeah… well, kind of…" He shook his head. "Look, it doesn't matter!  I just met this girl, okay, and she needed my help!"

            "Oh?  And who exactly is this damsel in distress?"

            He glowered at her. "Her name's Michelle Chang."

            "Oh, her.  So what did she want?"

            "Well, apparently her mother's been kidnapped by the Mishima for some ulterior motive that's unknown to both Michelle and myself.  Until the other day, things were pretty straightforward, and then that sumo guy, Ganryu… he started threatening Michelle.  So today I was trying to get to the upper floors, to get some info, I don't know.  Unfortunately, I tripped the alarm system, so I had to make a break for it."

            "And ended up here," Jun finished. "So what about Bruce?"

            "Bruce?" Lei's face clouded. "I'll deal with him when I'm good and ready."

            "It doesn't sound like you're all that bothered with investigating him," she remarked pointedly. "Sounds more like you're bent on some sort of revenge.  You want to tell me about that?"

            "Maybe some other time," he replied stiffly. "Right now, I've got other things to do."

            "Like helping your dear Miss. Chang?" Jun said sweetly as he stood up and moved to the door.

            "Hey." He looked at her comically. "Don't push it."

            "I'll try," she replied wryly.  Just as he was about to leave, she suddenly thought of something. "Uh…Lei?"

            He turned expectantly. "Hm?"

            "Truce?  We really need to work on this together."

            He beamed and winked at her.

            "I _suppose_ that can be arranged.  Well, see you later, Jun."

* * *

            The next thing Jun had to worry about was the dinner that Kazuya had invited her to.  She had little time to worry about _why_ Kazuya had invited her and what exactly his intentions were.  What she had to focus on was how to manipulate the situation to her own advantage, while being careful not to fall into any traps.  After placing some thought on the matter, she decided to look for Nina.  She needed to find something that could take her up to the highest floors.

            Nina was on her way back to her room, looking bored.  Jun took the opportunity to stop her.

            "Nina!  I have a favour to ask of you!  Can you help me?"

            "What do you want?" Nina asked, looking surprised at the fact Jun should want _her_ help.

            "How did you get to the top floors?" Jun asked in a hushed voice.  Nina looked at her doubtfully.

            "Why do you need to know?"

            "It's to do with my investigation," she explained evasively.  She didn't want to give away too much about her VIP treatment. "It's very important.  I think I'm onto something."

            Nina thought about it for a moment.

            "Sure, I'll let you the gadget.  But I don't want you to lose it, okay?  And _don't_ get caught."

            "I promise, I won't," Jun swore with a virtuous look.

            "What you turn up doesn't really concern me," Nina replied airily. "My job is simply to get rid of Kazuya." She delved into her pocket and handed her a tiny device. "Here it is.  Take care of it."

            "I will.  Thanks, Nina."

            "No problem," Nina shrugged and disappeared into her room.

* * *

            Later that night Kazuya held another meeting.  Not that he had much to discuss, but the others liked to wrangle over their own personal problems, so he let them do it over the conference table instead of in private.  That way he could regulate their behaviour, if it offended him.  And he would also keep an eye on them.  The only people who had little to offer were Wang and Lee.  That annoyed Kazuya.  He didn't like to share his contempt with others.  And when Kunimitsu and Armour King joined their ranks, things became even more unbearable.

            That night, however, Kazuya said nothing at all.  The recent discussions over the tightening of security were of little interest to him and he hardly heard a word.  His mind was elsewhere: on his father, on his ancient friend, on the girl, Jun.  The thoughts flittered through his mind like snow, tumbling chaotic and confused.

            It was a relief when the meeting broke up.

            "Lee," he stopped his brother peremptorily before he went out.

            Lee stopped and turned, his face expectant.

            "You might as well know," Kazuya began in a low, level voice, "that I invited Miss. Kazama for dinner on Friday night."

            "You did?" Lee's face didn't give away any surprise, if indeed he was surprised at all.   

            "Yes.  But I don't trust the girl.  You understand her more than I do.  So I want you to be there too."

            Lee's expression was inscrutable. "All right," he said at last.

            "Lee," Kazuya continued softly. "I don't want you to try anything funny either.  Do you understand me?"

            "Perfectly," Lee replied.

            Kazuya nodded.

            "That will be all."

            He remained there, long after Lee had gone.  Not for the first time, he was afraid to return to the uppermost floor.  Yet – inevitably – he would return.

            He always did.

* * *

_Next: - Things come to head between Jun, Kazuya and Lee, and the mysterious advisor finally reveals himself..._


	7. Emotional Involvement

**:: VI :: Emotional Involvement**

****

It was late Thursday evening when Nina got the phone call. She'd been fighting in the tournament all day; she was tired and should have been sleeping. Somehow, Akio always seemed to find a way to keep her awake. It wasn't fair, she thought. It really wasn't.

She picked up the phone anyway. As usual, Akio made no greetings; he simply told her all the details in that soft, flat voice of his.

"Tomorrow at eight O'clock, Nina. Kazuya will be having dinner on the east side of the building. He should be alone, apart from his mysterious guest. It should be easy work."

Nina looked at the blueprints laid out on her table. She'd stolen them earlier on, and it was easy to pinpoint Kazuya's private dining room.

"Right," she confirmed briskly.

"Good luck, Nina," he wished her, and his voice was faintly softer.

"Thanks, Akio."

He said no more, but immediately went off-line. Nina sighed and switched off her own phone. She had forgotten to ask him about dinner. She felt defenceless, and it was not a feeling she enjoyed. What made it worse was that she _wanted_ to go out to dinner with him. _Go to dinner._ It sounded so fucking clichéd. To hell with dinner. She wanted _him_.

Nina slumped back onto the sofa.

Oh well, she'd admitted it now.

She'd wondered how long she'd hold out against him.

* * *

Lei spent the whole of Friday lecturing Jun on what and what not to do in Kazuya's company. Jun had been busy trying to get her evening dress just right for the grand occasion, and the more she looked at the dress the more it offended her. It was a long time since she'd worn anything so remotely revealing, and the thought of Kazuya staring at her made her feel embarrassed. 

"This isn't going to work!" Jun moaned, clapping a hand to her forehead. "Everything's going to go wrong!"

"Not if you don't lose your nerve it won't," Lei told her with a comical look. "And if you act just the way you usually do, everything will go fine."

"But I've never dealt with a man like Kazuya before, someone who's so…unpredictable. I just don't understand him."

"Look, just keep your head on and smile sweetly like you don't have a clue. Isn't that what being a woman's all about?" He smirked at her, but she only groaned in reply.

"Lei, give it a rest. I thought we promised…"

"Don't worry, Jun. It's just my sense of humour."

"I'm laughing hard," Jun muttered ironically, staring at the dress once more. "And something tells me I won't be laughing so hard tonight either," she murmured.

* * *

At nineteen hundred hours exactly Akio wondered casually outside the Mishima Headquarters and climbed – unseen – over the high fence. As he'd been guaranteed, no one was about. That gave him the chance to tamper with the system wires that ran outside the outer wall of the west side of the building. He was an expert at this sort of thing, and it was not long before a radar signal from the Mishima security system was being sent directly to his laptop computer. 

Not a sound could be heard while he did the job, and when he was finished he climbed silently back over the fence and to his car hiding just two blocks away. Lighting a cigarette, he sat for a moment and wound down the window. The sound of the city filtered through. He thought of Nina; his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. She'd be safe now. Whatever Mishima security knew, he'd be one step ahead.

* * *

Jun shivered a little in anticipation. There was something about Kazuya Mishima that unnerved her, something that she had detected the very first moment she had seen him, the time when she had observed that cold glint in his dark, brown eyes. She did not know why he wanted to see her, especially since he had hardly taken the trouble to speak to her beforehand. Nevertheless, she had decided that if he was going to give her special treatment, she might as well go ahead and take advantage of it. 

Sighing, she did up the last toggle of her red silk cheong sam. It was one of only two evening dresses she had brought with her, and at the back of her mind she sincerely hoped that her benevolent host wasn't going to make a habit of this sort of thing.

With this half-sardonic thought in mind, she was interrupted by an abrupt and rather harsh knock at her door. A little perplexed, she crossed the polished wooden floor to answer the call. Unlocking the latch, she cautiously pulled back the door. On the other side was a tall, blond-haired man, dressed from top to toe in a black suit and a pair of shades that seemed to overshadow most of his face. Jun seemed to recognise him from the video that the Director had shown her back at Headquarters. He was evidently one of Kazuya's bodyguards.

"Yes?" she began a little tentatively, not quite knowing what to say. The man's thin, straight lips began to move, oddly reminding her of the ominous opening of some dark tomb.

"I'm to escort you to Mr. Mishima's private dining room. Will you kindly follow me?"

Jun was half surprised and half afraid, much to her disgust. She had not been expecting anything like this at all, and it had completely thrown her off track. Just how much security did Mr. Mishima have? Would he always make a point of escorting her around the building with his own personal guards? Whatever the outcome, Jun knew that she had to cooperate. If she could possibly gain Kazuya's trust, then she would be able to conduct her investigation in a safer, much more reassuring manner. There was nothing for it but to consent.

"Of course," she smiled back, "I won't be a second."

She hastily grabbed her room keys from the bedside table, and after having made sure the door was securely locked, followed the man out into the corridor. He led her straight to the lifts and she noticed with interest that he chose one of the high-level security floors as their destination. Much to her dismay a keycard was required to get to these floors. Investigating the Mishima Conglomerate's underworld was not going to be as easy as she'd first imagined.

The lift halted to a stop after what seemed a very long silence. The bodyguard was obviously not the type for talking, and this heightened Jun's uneasiness. Still retaining his cool exterior, he led her down a corridor or two until they arrived outside a pair of polished oak double doors. With a light rap, the man slowly opened the doors and indicated for her to enter. With a dubious last look up into the shades, Jun swallowed hard and walked into the room.

It was the sort of room that reminded you of a relatively warm and inviting palace. The first thing Jun noticed was the extensively long and shiny oak table, and then the surprisingly soft glow of the walls as they reflected the haze of the artificial light. There was almost a pinky hue to it, and there was a sort of softness about the atmosphere that slowly began to relax her. The only daunting thing about the room was the row of enormous windows on the wall furthest from her. Beyond the light-reflecting panes rested almost complete darkness, a darkness that detracted from that soft pink that so mesmerised her.

"Ah, Miss. Kazama, good evening. Would you please take a seat?"

With an effort, Jun forced herself to look toward the head of the table. Kazuya Mishima was there and was standing, waiting for her. He looked very much different from the way she'd seen him before. He was wearing a purple dinner suit with a gold cravat about his neck. It made him look less harsh somehow, more human.

Willing her legs forward, Jun moved to the table and sat down in the seat her host had been holding out for her.

"Thank you, Mr. Mishima," she murmured, as soon as he had helped her to the table. He sat down, smiled at her with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Please," he began in that soft, strong voice of his, "I think we can drop the formalities. Just call me Kazuya."

She smiled, and did not find it too hard. When she looked at him carefully, she saw that his eyes were actually rather nice. How had she detected that glint in them before?

"Thank you, Kazuya."

He nodded at her, then continued.

"Forgive me for the presence of my brother, but recently I have been obliged to endorse in extra security, and Lee has been taking the trouble to take care of that business for me."

For the first time Jun noticed that Lee had been sitting all the while at the opposite end of the table. That did not immediately concern her – it was the icy look that passed between the two brothers that half startled her. She suddenly had the feeling that she was involving herself in something she would be safer well steering clear of. Nevertheless, she was able to give Kazuya's silver-haired brother a pretty genuine smile. Lee smiled back, his violet eyes assessing her in that thinly disguised manner so peculiar to him. She quickly averted her own eyes for fear that Kazuya might detect that secret stare. She felt sure that anything Lee did would annoy the other considerably. She firmly made up her mind that she would be in control of this situation.

"It's so nice of you to ask me to come," she enthused as genuinely as she could, looking back to Kazuya. "I didn't expect this kind of treatment at all."

She laughed a little, a stupid little airhead giggle that she hoped would take in the older man. Kazuya, however simply stared at her with a complacent yet probing look, one that told her that he was not for one moment fooled by her feigned innocence at all.

"Of course, not all the contestants are treated in the way you are being treated tonight," he informed her, an ironic tone to his voice. She got the impression that he knew what it was she wanted, and that he was beginning to play games with her. Well, two can play at that, she thought wryly.

"Oh really?" she replied, still smiling.

He passed her a short, ruminating glance, one that she returned fully. She had to let him know that she was not afraid.

"Actually," he began in a voice that reeked with dangerous softness, "there _was_ something I was wishing to discuss with you, Miss. Kazama."

Jun leant forward a little, burning with the need to hear what he had to say. He smiled faintly at her, knowing her intentions.

"But I'm sure you'd rather eat your dinner first before I bore you."

* * *

After scaling the walls of the Mishima Building, Nina Williams finally came to a stop outside the room she had been told Kazuya would be in. She was beginning to be glad of Akio's presence after all. He seemed to have a considerable knowledge of everything Kazuya Mishima was up to, and she was not in the least surprised to see that through the window was Kazuya, completely unaware of her presence. 

The setting was perfect. From the angle she was hoisted at, Nina could easily aim her silenced PPK downwards at the head of the Mishima Conglomerate and finish him off with one single push of the trigger. No one would notice her – the windows were too dark for anyone to see through them. The only problem was the other two people in the room. Lee Chaolan, Kazuya's half brother, was facing away from her. He could pose a potential problem. Nina also considered getting rid of him, but she'd never have time to pull the trigger on him as well. Besides, assassinating Lee wasn't part of her assignment.

It was the presence of Jun that surprised Nina the most. She wondered whether Jun was working with Kazuya on the inside, but quickly ruled that possibility out. This was obviously a formal dinner party. Maybe Jun had wheedled her way into Kazuya's affections and was taking advantage of it. Nina smiled wryly to herself. She'd have to talk to Jun about it later.

Pulling out her gun, Nina cocked it and aimed it at her target. Any second now this would all be over and she could look forward to promotion at last.

It was at the point that she would have pulled the trigger that the door of the room below unexpectedly opened. It was a bodyguard that entered. Drawing back her gun, Nina looked on in perplexity as the man addressed Kazuya in quiet tones. After a moment Kazuya stood up, excused himself from his guest, and simply walked out of the room, his bodyguard in tow. Nina gaped. This opportunity had been completely lost, and for what? With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she tried to assess the situation. What was she supposed to do now? The problem was conveniently solved for her by the sound of her intercom kicking in.

"Nina!" It was Akio's voice that was talking fuzzily in her left ear. "Nina, they're onto you! Get the hell out of there!"

Before she had any time to let this sink in, Nina heard the sound of quickening footsteps beneath her. Presently, the self-same bodyguard she had witnessed in the room below entered her range of vision. He noticed her almost immediately as she dangled precariously from the building wall.

"There she is!" he called over his shoulder to an associate trailing behind him. "Get her!"

By now Nina's mind was in full gear. She had to think quickly, and just standing there weighing up the odds would simply make matters worse. Without even really thinking about it, she levered herself from the wall with both feet and whipped out her knife, expertly severing the cord that was holding her up with one long sweep. She was in free-fall now, and with all the elegance of a cat she landed in perfect position, her thighs clamped about the neck of one astounded and uncomprehending bodyguard.

"From heaven to hell," she thought wryly, and tensed the muscles in her well-toned legs. With a sickening crack, she broke the victim's neck clean in two. The man slumped forward, leaving Nina to scramble to her feet. In the heat of the moment she had almost forgotten the second bodyguard.

"Bitch!" he screamed at her. Well, she thought, his companion _had_ just died, but there was no need to be rude about it. If there was anything Nina hated most, it was being insulted. Did they really think she was in this business for fun?

The enemy was rushing at her and she could see he was coming in with a punch. Sighing with the tediousness of it all, she dodged the attack by ducking down, letting her assailant's hand whiz over the top of her head. She decided it was time for her trusty PPK. Pressing the barrel against his stomach with lightning speed, he hardly had the time to react before she had pulled the trigger. Nina shielded her face. If there was one thing that couldn't be washed out, it was blood.

Having executed (so to speak) her escape plan flawlessly, Nina decided it was time to meet her getaway car at the appointed place as soon as possible. No doubt Kazuya Mishima's men would be out by the dozen soon, and she definitely didn't want to be there when it all happened. With a fluid pace she sprinted over to the fountain in the front courtyard. Sure enough, Akio's black armoured car pulled in just as she arrived.

"Tough?" Akio asked when Nina reclined into the back seats as they finally sped away from the crime scene. She decided not to answer readily. She was too busy contemplating the back of her partner's head.

"Akio?" she finally began, stretching her arms back behind her head.

"What?" His eyes were intent on the road.

She paused a moment. Why did he always make her lose the cool detachment she put on for her work? It was not a feeling she enjoyed. "I need a break," she finished in a breath.

He turned, grinned at her.

"Your place or mine?"

* * *

The long and intense period of silence had been too much for Jun. Sitting in this big room, wearing a revealing dress, and being in the company of a man who so casually seemed to assess her made her want to get up and do something. It was those windows that annoyed her the most. Large and daunting, she could not see behind them into the blackness, and yet they encompassed such a large area of the walls in the room. After a while, this curious frustration got the better of her. Standing up abruptly, she travelled over to the nearest encasement. She was almost relieved to see that the layer of darkness beyond the panes was only a trick of the light inside the room. Down below all sorts of things were happening. It was bright; there heat-sensor lamps on, and men in black suits were running about in a crazed fashion. 

"Are Kazuya's men still out?"

Jun almost jumped. She had not heard Lee leave his seat, and he appeared to be quite close behind her. She did not know why that bothered her. She hardly knew Kazuya's half brother, and yet she felt as though she understood him perfectly enough already. She didn't know whether this was just her brain at work, or something else. Nevertheless, she decided it would be safer not to look at him.

"Yes," she replied in answer to his question.

A tentative sort of silence followed. She realised achingly that she was no longer interested in what was outside, but in the degree of closeness between her and Lee. She forced herself to concentrate on the tiny bodies moving down below, and tried to see if Kazuya was among them. What was going on, why was everyone looking about, behind bushes and the like? Why had Kazuya gone down with them in the first place?

It was then that she felt just the faintest touch against the strands of her hair, and if she had been really absorbed in what was going on down below she would probably not have noticed it. She followed the almost undetectable movement for an incredibly short, hazy second. And then, it was over, and the fingers were against her neck, surprisingly soft and smooth, travelling down the length of her cool white skin.

Jun froze, her eyes widened. She was not ready…had not expected…and yet she had, she knew she had… Unable to co-ordinate any sort of self defence, she stood stock still, her warm fingers still against the icy window pane. Every second seemed to be become a minute; everything seemed to pass slowly. When she finally felt the touch of his lips against her neck, she closed her eyes and managed to take in a breath. She could hardly comprehend the situation here. Lee? Lee Chaolan? The brother of Kazuya Mishima? She did not understand. She only knew, somewhere at the back of her mind, that this was completely going to ruin the plans she had so carefully made for investigating the Mishima. But that thought was only at the back of her mind. Other possibilities were working faster now, and despite the shield she had so conscientiously built up for herself, she found that she suddenly wanted to take it down.

"Lee…" The name came on a short breath, and signalled her consent to whatever it was that he wanted. As though in answer he pulled her round to face him, away from the window, away from reality. In that soft moment, soft lips touched her throat again, and she found herself aching to reciprocate in some way. _Stop, stop, stop_, Jun tried to will herself, and though she pressed the palms of her hands firmly against his shoulders, in her heart she was eager to stay.

"Lee, please stop," she pleaded, but strangely the words seemed to be divorced from her mind, from her emotions. "Please stop."

She repeated the phrase, but it didn't have any effect. His lips continued upwards, towards its inevitable conclusion. He needed no words – he held her completely in this moment without using them. He left her neck and Jun could feel him painfully close to her. She closed her eyes tighter, feeling angry with herself. She had promised herself there would be no romantic involvement in her work, particularly not the reciprocated kind. She needed some sort of last defence, something that would end this madness completely.

"Lee, what if Kazuya comes…"

The mentioning of his hated brother's name provoked none of the reactions she had been expecting. Her fingers were pressed against her cheek, and she could almost feel the touch of his lips against hers, the warmth of his breath. She paused a moment, and tried to push her way through the haze in her usually fiercely analytical mind. She could not find it. She would give in. She'd let him do it, and let herself do it. And worse of all, she knew she would enjoy it too.

Somewhere in that never-ending point in time Jun faintly heard the door at the opposite end of the room open. It was a shock to her senses. Her eyes flew open, and she saw that it was Kazuya who had entered. Kazuya! Jun felt a peculiar kind of wrench inside her; it was a feeling that seemed to take her away from her position against the window to stand before the man who was glaring at them in such surprise from the doorway. For a second she saw something in that man that she'd never seen before. She was frightened, yes, actually frightened. She pushed the startled Lee away from her in a futile attempt to deny what they had intended to share. She realised that Lee did not even know of Kazuya's presence in the room. She looked up at him fearfully, and there was sudden understanding in his violet eyes as he saw the room's reflection in the window behind her.

"Lee."

Kazuya's single word broke the silence, and in it there was a sort of authoritative anger, the sort you would use on a small child. Lee glowered, realising his fatal mistake. He remembered shortly what his orders had been, and what he should not have done.

He turned slowly away from Jun to face Kazuya. The man's eyes were cold and sharp despite the dark warmth beneath. Jun held back against the windowpane. As the two men gazed at each other, she could almost feel the glacial stare between them, their unspoken loathing for each other. She was mildly astonished. She had not anticipated the violence of the hatred they shared. The whole room was awash with an almost inhuman silence, which was only broken with Lee's slow yet sudden movement. With deft fingers he pulled out a cigarette and flicked open his antique gold lighter. In a moment he had lit the cigarette and, pressing it to his lips in an unconcerned manner, he pulled a long, slow drag and exhaled the smoke with casual elegance.

Jun held her breath. It was not hard to recognise Lee's understated insolence, and she did not have any idea of how Kazuya would react. She felt relatively sure there would be no outburst, not yet anyway – it was a secret game they were playing, a battle that would not be won with words until the time was right. Yes, she was right: she _was_ way out of her depth in this. She was anxious that she should not play any part in it, but the fear that had already begun to was forming in her mind.

For a long while the two brothers seemed to exchange their silent insults, and then, finally, Lee began to walk towards the door, his stride well formed, confident. His eyes remained on Kazuya, ever defiant, until eventually he brushed past him and opened the door, letting himself out as though nothing had happened.

Jun stared uncomfortably at the closed door, her mind slowly beginning to recollect itself. But she could still not get any of her mind around it. A slight movement from Kazuya caused her to start breathlessly. For all his mysterious and hostile ways, she still felt drawn to those incredibly soft, dark eyes.

-

Lee shut the door behind him, and for the first time he felt the aching of his mind. He did not stop walking, for if he did, he felt it would betray him. Lee had been walking away from things all his life and was determined not to stop now. He simply chewed on his cigarette and thought hard about it all, his feet moving down the carpeted corridor with the rhythm of his thoughts.

Yes, that Jun, with her gentle voice and soft looks. He wanted her, with a passion unfamiliar to him. She was different to the others, and that made him guilty because he didn't particularly feel anything for her that he had not felt for the others.

He was mildly startled at that point by Anna popping out from a strategically placed corner. Her look of feigned surprise almost made him smile.

"Lee!" she exclaimed, still wearing her cleverly disguised amazement. "Why are you all dressed up with nowhere to go? Why not join me for a drink?"

Lee pretended to consider it. In all honesty, he didn't really have an excuse to object. He did not mind Anna as a person, but after the latest happenings he didn't particularly feel like socialising with her. It had been nearly two years since they had agreed that they should break things off. Though they were no longer together, Lee got the distinct impression that Anna still wanted to get into bed with him, and at the moment he was simply not interested. Still, he needed some balm for his wounded pride.

"Why not?" he replied with a shrug.

"Wonderful!" Anna cried in something close to ecstasy, but he caught her by the shoulders before she could try anything funny.

"But not just yet. I've got a little bit of eavesdropping to do."

Anna stared up at him, a knowing look on her face.

"Oh? You mean on Kazuya and that girl?"

Lee raised an eyebrow, slightly put out. Anna had already touched a sensitive point, and he wasn't in the mood to discuss it. She seemed to realise this. They hadn't been lovers without learning some things about one another.

"I was only kidding," she replied in her normal voice, a slight smile playing across her face as she eyed him suggestively. Pivoting herself on her black high heels, she swivelled away from him and placed a hand on a well-rounded hip. "I'll be waiting for you in the bar. Make sure you're not late."

She walked back down the corridor, her body swaying effortlessly inside the black, skin-tight dress. Lee grimaced slightly and turned back to face the door he had just come from. Although the eavesdropping scam had just been an excuse to temporarily get rid of Anna, the advantages of such an exercise were slowly forming in his mind. Just as he had secreted himself behind a corner, the door to the dining room opened, and both Kazuya and then Jun entered the corridor. Lee held his breath in anticipation. Why weren't they staying in to eat their dinner? He did not understand.

He watched them exchange a few words and then turn round to walk down the corridor away from him. Once they had turned the corner, he moved away from his hiding place and trailed them, always keeping them just in sight. He was very much amazed to see them stop outside Jun's room. Lee hid behind a nearby corner. From where he was standing, he could just make out their words.

"Here's your room," Kazuya was saying softly. Then there was Jun's voice, lighter, sweeter.

"Thank you."

Lee listened carefully. Was Kazuya going to give away any clues?

"Jun?" That was Kazuya's voice – Lee pricked up his ears, waiting to hear his name. "Tonight…Lee…he didn't harm you in any way, did he?"

"No," Jun sounded quite relaxed about it, "I'm fine, thank you."

Fine? Lee listened no more. Had he done the right thing? Lee wasn't about to pretend to himself that his intentions had been wrong – and it had been obvious to him that though Jun had objected, she hadn't exactly been slapping him in the face for it either. It was Kazuya he was worrying about. Was Kazuya jealous? Was he really so interested in gaining Jun's friendship?

Friendship? Lee snorted. Kazuya could not make friends. But there was something strange going on. Because Jun Kazama seemed to want Kazuya's friendship too. Or maybe more. Well, Lee thought, he'd take away anything that belonged to Kazuya, just as he always had. That would not change.

With a soft, smooth smile Lee turned and walked towards the bar.

* * *

_Next: Jun finally comes face to face with Kazuya's secret advisor..._


	8. Unholy Night

**:: VII :: Unholy Night**

The hotel room was five-star, spacious, luxurious, and the temperature was just right. In fact, it'd got a little hotter since they'd arrived, but that was just Nina trying to humour herself, a compensation for the fact that she'd probably just made a bad mistake. But damn, what a mistake. Akio had been staying in the hotel for the past two weeks, and so they'd just gone right in without saying much and got down to it.

Nina had been amazed about how nonchalantly she'd walked into it. Not a care in the world, just all touch and feel and no words at all. That was how greedy it had been. The way she saw it, she deserved a little pleasure – talking could come later. And she was sure Akio had felt the same way.

So here she was in bed with him, and she was surprised that talking still didn't sound very appealing to her. Nina had always been the type to analyse her relationships, to analyse her lovemaking. It hadn't been like that at all with Akio. In a way, she felt guilty, and disappointed. As if it had only been lust, not anything serious.

She yawned. It was only ten p.m., and yet the day – and Akio – had worn her out.

"Tired?" he asked her, his arm round her shoulder, his hand gently brushing her hair.

"Not really," she replied, rolling over and kissing him. He responded, and it was just as things were about to get interesting again that the sound of her cellphone ringing shrilly shattered it all. She would have been inclined to ignore it, but Akio pulled away from her, gently, almost apologetically.

"It's your phone," he stated quietly. "It's probably about tonight. You'd better answer it."

With a sigh, Nina sat up and grabbed the phone. It was Heihachi.

"You failed and nearly got caught!" The familiar voice filtered through without even attempting a greeting. Nina groaned inwardly. She knew what Heihachi could be like in a mood.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay, but it's bloody hard trying to even get close to that son of yours!" She paused as Akio sat up beside her and switched the TV on with the remote control. "You should see all his damn security!"

"You're supposed to get past all that, that's what I'm paying you for!" Heihachi retorted irately. "Now listen; we're going to have to go onto plan B."

"Hang on a sec." Nina nudged Akio who was watching the TV beside her. "Akio, can you turn the TV down a minute?" Akio grinned and punched at the remote. The volume quickly lowered itself. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

"Right," Heihachi began without missing a beat. "This is what you're going to do…"

Nina was stunned at his proposal.

"I can't do that!"

She could hear Heihachi's grisly laughter from the other end of the line.

"You know what to do," he finished, before the line went dead. Nina stared at the phone a minute in disbelief. What Heihachi had asked her to do was practically tantamount to suicide.

"Was the old man being difficult?" Akio inquired, a small, knowing smile on his face. Nina chucked the phone back onto her pile of clothing and switched the TV off viciously.

"Shut up, Akio. You could at least comfort me instead of making a joke out of it."

"I could do that," he agreed, running a finger down her midriff contemplatively. His expression was suddenly sardonic. "It's funny – I don't usually mix pleasure with business."

"It's the first rule for people like us," she sniffed gloomily. "And we've just broken it."

He nodded. "It usually spells trouble."

"And do I look like trouble to you, Mr. Yumiko?" she asked innocently, drawing her face close to his.

"You look like a whole lot of it, Nina Williams," he replied lazily, the mask of indifference back on his face. "But somehow, I don't think I really care anymore."

"Get used to it," she murmured, straddling him and kissing him once more.

* * *

Lee had joined Anna at the bar, which seemed to be unusually boisterous that evening.

"What's all the ruckus?" he asked, planting himself firmly at the bar and ordering himself his usual drink.

"Contestants," Anna answered with a look of disgust. "That bumbling idiot, Paul Phoenix, from the looks of it." Lee cast a look back over his shoulder, while lighting a cigarette. In the background, Paul seemed to be gesticulating wildly to some friends. Anna ignored them. "So," she continued, glancing over at him slyly through thickly mascara-ed eyelashes. "Hear anything interesting between Kazuya and our _darling_ Miss. Kazama?"

"No," Lee replied, after a moment's hesitation. He reckoned the less he said to her on the subject the better.

"Ah, what a shame," Anna replied, checking her burgundy nails lazily. "And here I was thinking there was something good to gossip about."

Lee frowned. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Across the bar, Lei's table was in pretty much an uproar. The racket they had been creating had earned their group several sour looks and grumbles throughout the course of the evening. Not to say that any of the ruckus had been Lei's fault. Or even Michelle's, or Law's. It was amazing that so much noise could be pinpointed to one single person – Paul Phoenix. All Lei had been doing was staring suspiciously over at Lee Chaolan and his companion, wondering what the 'Silver-Haired Devil' was up to. Then Paul had got drunk, and got into a fight with King, who'd been sitting nearby, nursing a beer of his own and minding his own business. It was only when that Armour King had intervened that the fight had broken up.

"More alcohol!" he'd shouted at the drunken King. "You can't do anything without your damn alcohol!"

"I can't handle it anymore!" King cried, his voice wavering in despair.

"You've can't handle anything! You've always been a loser! You couldn't even save those children!"

King had actually begun to weep then – even he must have been surprised. He was remembering. He was remembering his orphanage and how the Mishima had driven away the innocent children.

"All right!" he exclaimed to Armour King. "All right…! I'll stop. But I need your help. Please, godammit… Please help me." All the while he had been holding the cross about his neck.

The atmosphere had been too depressing after that. Lei and Michelle had decided to say goodnight and go back to their rooms.

"I've never seen a grown man cry like that," Michelle said as they walked back together. "I always wondered what was the matter with King. He'd changed so much after the last tournament. And we'd always got on so well."

"What happened?" Lei asked.

"Same as me," she replied wryly. "Revenge. Now I understand how he feels." She sighed. "He ran an orphanage in Mexico. The Mishima must have done something to the kids there." She shook her head in disgust. "The more I hear about those bastards, the less I want to know."

Lei frowned at the tone of her voice. "Trust me on this, Michelle. I'll find your mother for you."

She stopped and smiled up at him. "I know. And I do trust you." She looked away, suddenly embarrassed. "Well, this is my room. Goodnight."

He nodded. "Goodnight, Michelle."

She turned to open the door, then thought of something.

"Oh…Lei?" She touched his hand briefly. "Thanks."

He would have said something, if he could have found the words. As it was, it was all he could do to watch her beam up at him again, then go into her room, closing the door softly behind her.

Lei scratched his head, trying to get his cynicism back. It really was irritating. He was losing it quite a lot these days. He was about to scold himself mentally when he caught sight of Jun turning the corner of the corridor in the distance, and then disappearing out of sight. That puzzled him. He wondered why she'd finished her 'dinner' with Kazuya so quickly.

* * *

After Kazuya had dropped Jun off at her door, Jun had gone back into her room and thought hard about the evening. She'd taken off the dress and changed into something more comfortable, but that hadn't made her feel any more at ease. She thought about Lee, mostly, of what had, and would have, passed between them. She didn't like to admit it, but she found it very hard not to be attracted to Lee, and after what had happened that evening, whatever she had felt for him before was a lot more intense now. And then there was Kazuya, and the way she felt drawn to him. That was something different, dark and mysterious, something that she could not fully understand. But it was an attraction nonetheless.

Jun shook her head violently, trying to get rid of the uncompromising thoughts. It was one thing to get involved with one man during the course of an investigation, but _two_ men at the same time was another matter entirely. Remembering that caused Jun to feel guilty. She knew what Lei would say. _I told you so_. Well then, she'd make sure she did something constructive tonight.

Grabbing the device Nina had given her earlier, Jun left her room, ready to begin her investigation once and for all.

* * *

Kazuya Mishima woke with a start. He hadn't had a good night's sleep for at least a week now, and he certainly hadn't slept properly since he'd met that girl, Jun. It was as though something was moving inside of him.

Kazuya placed one hand to the scar on his chest. It hurt, it hurt with the thing inside him. Tonight he felt saner than he had in years, and he didn't know why. The sanity pained him; he wasn't used to it. He was in a cold sweat now. He was afraid. For some reason, he knew without a doubt what he'd got himself into. He knew that he was losing himself to that thing inside him.

"I can't go through with this," he gasped to himself. "I must stop myself."

Then he felt it – the other side to the darkness. A spirit, a woman, an angel. She was putting her arms round him, trying to comfort him. He'd seen the angel, before. She'd always been on the borderline, watching. She was with him now, trying to help him. He felt as though he'd let her in. This time he hadn't driven her away.

_No, Kazuya._

There was that voice – except it was not a voice, rather a hiss, brittle on the air, like the ancient whisper of the wind through leaves. The woman had gone, disappeared.

_It's too late to stop now, remember? You wanted to do this, it was what you wanted._

Kazuya could not remember a time when he had wanted it. All he could remember was the pain, of wanting to get rid of it. The ancient spirit had offered him comfort and sanity; Kazuya had grabbed at the chance of it.

"No!" he cried, and then he saw it, the spirit – only it no longer looked the way it had done at first. Now it was becoming human, and what was more, it was becoming Kazuya. That frightened him – he was looking almost at a mirror-image of himself.

The being was close to him now, its features, although like Kazuya's, were old and ancient, wise even, but evil, cold and misty. It was speaking again, in that low, guttural hiss.

_Remember the pain and the anguish, Kazuya. Remember the pain of your mother's death, of your father's betrayal, of falling from that tall, cruel cliff._

Kazuya remembered. The being put the memories there. He recalled his mother, lying, dead – her face covered by the thin, white linen, the hollows of her eyes gaping like shadows through the cloth. He remembered his new brother coming into his life – ten year old Lee, a substitute for Kazuya, a 'strong' son, the one who would be heir to his father. And then of Heihachi, the shadow in the background, the cause of all the pain – throwing Kazuya off the cliff, saying: 'You are weak. Only the strong survive in this family.'

That was what Kazuya remembered. And the memory of that fall, of nearly dying, of the blood on his chest, the scar… it was immeasurable pain, one that tightened within him to a flooding crescendo. He was shaking, sweating with it.

_Remember too, the pleasure of your revenge_, the spirit continued. _Of throwing Heihachi from the same cliff many years later_. It was closer to Kazuya now, near his ear – he could feel the poison pouring in. _All you have left now is to destroy. To destroy your father, Kazuya_.

That was it, Kazuya remembered now. That was his purpose, that was why he was here, why he hated.

_Kill Heihachi_.

_Yes._ The spirit was fading away, quietly, into the darkness. _Remember, Kazuya. You are mine, and I will give you all that you ask for_.

No; it was not a dream. It was real. Kazuya understood that, as the being melted into the shadows. He'd asked for it. He'd wanted to hate. Now he could not turn back.

His soul was the Devil's.

* * *

Much to Jun's dismay, the infrared device that Nina had given her had refused to work on the keycard system. She'd tried pressing in various codes on the keypad, all without success. Each time her password was denied.

"Dammit!" she muttered under her breath. All she wanted was to find the bear, Kuma – or Dr. Bosconovitch, or anything. Then she'd feel that all her troubles that day had been worthwhile. Just as she was about to give up, the lights in the lift began to flicker and wane. Jun was not the type to frighten easily, but when the elevator suddenly gave a violent lurch, she began to get anxious. Attempting to open the doors made no difference, and just before she had time to puzzle over that, the lift gave another rolling quake, made a strange screeching sound, and then, to Jun's immense surprise, began to ascend at a tremendous speed. The force was so great that Jun lost her balance and tumbled back up against the cold chrome wall. She gazed up in shock at the screen above the sliding doors. Each floor number was flashing past in a blur. That left her with some idea of how fast the lift was travelling. Her stomach was churning.

"Oh my God, what…?"

She'd barely got the words through her mouth when the lift jolted to a stop and once again Jun was thrown to the floor. With a neat chime, the doors slid open.

Jun picked herself up from the floor in bewilderment. A look at the screen told her that she was on the uppermost floor – Kazuya's private domain. Not even his closest advisors had access to this area.

Jun hesitated. She had no clue as to why the elevator had so conveniently led her to this place. What was more, she felt irrevocably _drawn_ to this floor, as though someone was calling her, inviting her even. It was, however, not a warm, cosy invitation. A chill rippled up Jun's spine. No; there was no warmth, only ambivalence, as if this were only a meeting of convenience. Reluctantly, she stepped out of the lift and into the room.

It was inexplicably large, and dark. She could hardly see a thing, and the light from the elevator cast an eerie glow over the walls. No; not walls, but mirrors, mirrors lined on every wall so that the room seemed to go on forever. She hesitated, and yet something deep inside her told her to move forward. With a tentative step, Jun did so, her reflections following. That fact unnerved her – her duplicates seemed somehow sinister. Yet all the while that voice within her intensified, beckoning her into the centre of the room.

She stopped, and looked about. There was nothing, only her many reflections in the dim light. And then, a voice, a hiss, faint, very faint.

_…Jun…_

She started, whirled around. In the corner of the room, in the panel of mirrors there, it was standing, nothing more than an obscure outline she could not make it. That didn't matter. Her heart froze instantaneously. Instinctively she knew it was _this_ being that had called her to this place.

"It's you," she breathed, the understanding flooding into her mouth. "You're the one who's drawing me to Kazuya."

The thing, whatever it was, said nothing, but moved forwards a little, always within the mirror, not in the room. As it finally stood in the thin shaft of light, Jun saw to her amazement that it was the likeness of Kazuya Mishima. But this was not the head of the Mishima Conglomerate at all. What she could sense was not human, something very old, and very sinister.

"Who are you?" she gasped, suddenly finding her breath becoming laboured. "What do you want?"

The face of the being smiled, an insidious grin that chilled her to the core.

_It doesn't matter what I want_, came the reply, cold and faint. _Not yet, anyway._

"Not yet?" Jun repeated. She was not afraid, only curious, and somehow that curiosity had been planted in her by this being, right from the very beginning. She knew now that she'd been drawn here, drawn to Kazuya. "I don't understand," she spoke at last. "What do you mean?"

_That your fate in this tournament, Jun Kazama, has already been decided._

"Decided? By who? You?"

The being smiled, its red eyes glittering.

_You will know, soon enough_.

Somehow, through the terror and the stupor, Jun's anger flared.

"Tell me! Why have you brought me to Kazuya? What purpose do I have with the Mishima?"

The being laughed, low, murky, the sound reverberating through the whole room.

_You are naive, Jun, very naive. Haven't you seen the actions that have been going on around you, haven't you seen the eyes that have been watching you?_ There was a smirk on the shadowy features, one that she shuddered at. _Don't worry, Jun. You will be well taken care of. For as long as it takes._

"I don't understand," she repeated, her mind working rabidly. Who was this person she was talking to, if it was a person at all? Why did it look like Kazuya? And then, something suddenly clicked in her mind. "You're Kazuya's secret advisor, aren't you," she stated, her voice quieter, tauter. "What have you done to Kazuya?!"

_Nothing that concerns you yet, girl. I told you: your part to play will come soon._ The spirit grinned. _I thought you would be a nuisance at first, but now…_ The eyes glittered, gazing into her hers with a glacial coldness. _Kazuya's soul is mine. You will not interfere._

Something struck Jun, cold and shocking. She understood and yet she did not understand. "His soul…" she whispered, "…yours?" It was falling into place now – the hatred she felt in Kazuya, the blackness. Somehow this being had penetrated his thoughts, taken him over, increased Kazuya's hate for his father a hundred-fold. And then the realisation moved within her, and she felt something new. She felt pity for Kazuya, the need to help him, a strong need. Her hands balled at her sides, her eyes flashed as she returned the glare of the thing in front of her.

"I'll stop you," she said at last, and her voice seemed different, strange. "I won't let you do it, I won't let you take over Kazuya, or his soul! Whatever happens, I will do everything in my power to stop you!"

_Is that so?_ The being looked amused. _Then can you defend your promise with your fighting skill?_ So saying, the spirit's eyes opened wide, bright as headlights, hypnotising. Jun stood back in temporary brightness at the glare. For a moment she could not move; and then a strange beam of light was emanating from those eyes:- no, not light, but raw energy…

Jun hardly had time to react when something hard crashed into her from behind. With a tight gasp she toppled to the floor, just as the beam of energy hurtled past her and into the wall of mirrors behind. All that was left was the smoking remnants of singed glass. Jun swallowed, her wits still whirling. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that it was Kazuya who had pushed her out of the way of certain death, and who was now standing over her, shielding her. She stared up at him with a mixture of awe and amazement at his changed face. He didn't look so haunted anymore; something had gone.

"What are you doing?!" he was shouting to the thing in the mirror that so resembled himself. "I told you to leave her alone!"

The spirit laughed mockingly.

_What's the matter, Kazuya? Have I offended you?_

"I thought we had an agreement," Kazuya returned through gritted teeth, to which the spirit once again laughed.

_Yes, we had an agreement. But you seem to have forgotten it, Kazuya._ There was a strange light glowing in the being's eyes as it gazed upon Kazuya coldly. _Haven't you?_

To Jun's consternation, Kazuya suddenly doubled over, his hands clasping his chest, his breathing heavy. It was is if the eyes of the creature seemed to have some sort of devastating effect on him, something physical as well as mental. She crawled forwards, tried to look into Kazuya's eyes, but he was bent over too far for her to see.

"Mr. Mishima!" she cried, shaking him. She was frightened now, frightened at the state he appeared to be in. What was going on here? "Mr. Mishima, please speak to me!"

His voice came out strangled, staccato.

"Help…help me."

"Help you? How?"

No sooner had she got the words out when suddenly Kazuya lashed at her with a hand, hard enough to send Jun crashing to the floor. In dazed amazement she looked up to see him standing over her, fury on his face, his eyes wide, wild.

"Didn't I tell you never to come here?!" he raged, his voice somehow different and much more frightening. "Didn't I tell you to stay out of my affairs?!"

She could not think freely enough to react. All she knew was that something was terribly wrong with the head of the Mishima Conglomerate, and that this stranger had something to do with it. But she had no time to analyse any of it before she found herself being grabbed by the collar as Kazuya lifted her up until her feet were off the ground.

"Get out of here!" he screamed into her face. "Before I get rid of you myself!"

Jun struggled to free herself, the power of his threat sending panic signals zigzagging through the length of her body. But no matter how hard she tried, his strength seemed to have doubled into a rock solid force that mocked her own.

"Please," she tried to speak, gasping for breath. "I know this isn't you. Please stop!"

For a moment she thought he would kill her, but then, something seemed to catch his eye over her shoulder. Fear crept into his dark pupils, and then remorse.

"I'm sorry," he began to repeat, but not her, to whatever it was behind her. "I'm sorry!"

In trepidation Jun turned her head to see whom it was that Kazuya talked to. At first she could see no one for the darkness. And then, standing in the mirror as the malevolent spirit had been standing before, she saw a woman, dressed in white, staring at them both with a calm, serene look on her face. Jun's mind began to whirl. Another spirit? But this one a good one? And what did Kazuya have to do with all this? She turned to look at him, and suddenly, without reason, she felt inexplicably stronger, as though the woman behind her had joined her strength with her own.

"It's all right, Kazuya," she told him, her words not her own. "Don't give into it, that hatred. I'll always be there to protect you. You don't have to hate again."

The fear fell from his face, and he dropped to the floor in sudden pain, releasing Jun as he did so. She watched him as he held his hands to his face, and the strength she had just felt in the face of him seemed to fade away. She could not understand why it was that she had said those words to Kazuya, nor what they had meant. All she knew was that this was the strangest feeling she had ever had, as though she was not herself. And now that it had left her, there was only fear.

She stared down at Kazuya again as he groaned into his hands, his voice full of pain. She would have felt pity for him, but all she felt now was panic. Whatever was in the room _lived_ there, and it had not gone.

Turning around, Jun raced back towards the elevator and began to punch wildly at the 'down' button.

* * *

_Next: Jun begins to question her involvement with the Mishima and Kazuya's true intentions…_


	9. Out in the Open

****

**:: VIII :: Out in the Open**

Jun woke up the next morning, and was dismayed to find that things still felt no different. She had been convinced that maybe the events of the last night had been a dream, or perhaps even had a rational explanation, but now everything felt as mad and implausible as before. She felt sick with the knowledge that what had happened was real. She simply didn't know what to do about it.

She had to talk to Wang. It didn't matter about her investigation anymore. It was no longer the animals that she was interested in. It was the mystery behind the enigmatic Kazuya Mishima that she must unravel now, the man that she felt inexplicably drawn to.

* * *

Lei had meant to question Jun on last night's happenings, but somehow he found himself obeying Michelle and trying to work his head around her mother's disappearance instead. He knew it probably had something to do with this strange artefact Mrs. Chang had had in her possession, but he had difficulty in understanding why Kazuya would need it. What was one old antique worth to a prestigious billionaire?

Lei had to admit that most of his interest in Michelle's case sprang from the girl herself. As she was half-Chinese and the daughter of a Hong Kong cop, there was much she and Lei shared in common. But then there was the other half of her, the fiery native American half that gave Michelle that passionate edge…

Lei sat up. It suddenly occurred to him that Michelle's _heritage_ might have something to do with the strange artefact. He couldn't see how he'd been so blind before. Lei decided that it was high time he paid a visit to the library.

* * *

Wang seemed to be as elusive as ever, and so Jun was left to sit out in the garden after a general search, and brood over her troubles. Somebody in the Conglomerate must know something about Kazuya's secret, and at the moment the only person she could trust was Wang. The only problem was, he seemed to be avoiding her, but she had no idea why.

As she was thinking things over, she noticed Lee Chaolan advancing towards her. For the first time she remembered what had happened between them the night before. She almost blushed at the thought of it. He still unnerved her, the way he looked at her.

"Good morning, Miss. Kazama," he greeted her from across the garden.

"Good morning," she replied, a little uneasily. She was still not sure of Lee's intentions, and as he came to sit down next to her, she realised that she would have to keep as cool towards him as possible, despite last night's events.

"Did you enjoy last night?" he asked her, quite pleasantly. Jun hesitated. She couldn't say she'd enjoyed her dinner at all – in fact it had been one of her most unpleasant and gruelling experiences ever. She also suspected that the question had been something of a double entendre.

"Er…yes, thank you," she replied, trying to sound as polite as she could.

Lee half smiled, then spoke again.

"I was wondering, Miss. Kazama," he began, "whether you would like to join me for dinner tomorrow."

Jun was a little startled at his offer, especially after Kazuya's obvious displeasure at their show last night. Could this constant pursuing of her mean that Lee was truly interested in her after all? Jun weighed up the odds. She was attracted to Lee; but on the other hand he could come in useful to her investigation into Kazuya. In which case she might as well accept his invitation.

"I'd love to," she finally answered, smiling tentatively at him.

Lee's face was unsmiling as he replied.

"Then I'll meet you at eight O'clock tomorrow night," he said, and got up and left.

* * *

Jun had chosen the last evening gown in her suitcase to wear, and had decided that she looked as silly as she had those two nights before. She had not been surprised to find that a bodyguard had called at her door and escorted her to a limousine outside, where she had been chauffeur-driven to the _Le Jardin_, an expensive restaurant not far from the Mishima Building itself. Finding her pre-booked table was easy and then all she had to do was wait for Lee to arrive. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was eight O'clock, and yet there was still no sign of him at all.

He arrived five minutes later. He entered the restaurant with the air of a prestigious regular, as indeed Jun guessed he was – but more than that, Lee was the brother and right-hand-man of the restaurant's owner.

Jun stood up hastily, feeling a little self-conscious. She hadn't allowed herself to forget what had happened the other night, but her feelings had moved away from her general 'romantic' involvement theory. There was something suspicious about Lee's interest in her, though she found herself – albeit rather unwillingly – enjoying his attentions.

As Lee fended off the fawning staff with a his coat few dry wordst, he was led towards the table by a rather solemn-looking and resolutely quiet waiter. Jun's mind began to function wildly. She firmly tried to convince herself that she was doing this for the good of her work and nothing else. Still, she could not help but blush faintly as she saw Lee's violet eyes take in every line and curve in the black dress. She found herself feeling decidedly vulnerable all of sudden – and she didn't like that at all.

"Good evening, Miss. Kazama."

"Good evening," she replied, giving a slight bow in his direction. He smiled gently at her.

"Forgive me for being late, but I had some rather tiresome business to attend to." He paused, and gazed at her intently. "I can't help but notice how beautiful you're looking tonight."

"Thank you," she answered in a small voice, artfully blushing to reinforce her little disguise. He was still looking at her as she did so, although his eyes had narrowed just the tiniest bit.

"Shall we sit?" he suggested, and Jun let the silently watching waiter help her back into her seat. Once she had got herself comfortable in the polished, high-backed chair, her next task was to get herself comfortable with the situation. She hardly dared to look up into the face of her dining partner for fear of finding that his eyes had been on her all along. It came as a relief when their wine had been poured and the menus had finally arrived and she had something to do. The list of dishes was mostly in French, but since Jun was reasonably well acquainted with the language, she didn't find much difficulty in placing her order. Lee seemed a bit surprised.

"You know French?" he inquired.

"I had a little work there not long ago," she replied evasively, sipping the wine. "I picked up some of the language while I was on business."

"Ah. Business, of course," he returned, a little absently. "I take it from our profiles that you are an investigator into violations of animal rights? And that some of your work has taken you to Beijing and Shanghai, no?" She nodded and he smiled. "Then we shall have to have a little tête-à-tête in my native language soon."

She replied politely, though a little stiffly. Just how much he knew about her unsettled her. She had soon busied herself toying with her wineglass, making sure that her gaze was averted from his, feigning coyness. The silence that followed was awkward, and not a little embarrassing.

"You don't have to pretend to me, Jun."

She almost jumped at the unexpected statement.

"Pardon?"

He smiled at her, this time more genuinely.

"Are you afraid of me? Really, there's no need. I'm no different from the next person, and neither are you."

"Well, you _are_ a little different from most other people," she ventured slowly. He looked at her in surprise.

"Am I?"

"Well, you do happen to be the brother of the head of the Mishima Conglomerate, _and_ his right hand man. I guess that makes you pretty different to us ordinary folk."

"Could you forget that fact then?" he asked, perfectly seriously.

Jun said nothing for a moment. Her memory had temporarily taken her back to what had happened between them two nights ago. She was still suspicious about Lee's attitude towards her, but she didn't quite know what to make of it.

"I suppose so," she answered falteringly.

"I hope so," he added, without the slightest trace of self-consciousness, and went back to his wine.

It was while Jun was puzzling out his less formal and more familiar manner that their dinner arrived. For the next three-quarters of an hour or so they indulged in idle chatter until it was eventually time to go. He paid the bill, of course, and tipped generously.

"Is the car waiting outside?" Jun asked pleasantly, for she'd actually enjoyed the evening considerably. He gave her an off-hand glance.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of sending the car away. It's such a warm night, and I thought it would be nice if we walk back to the Mishima Building. It would give us the chance to talk."

The way he said the last word sent warning bells ringing in Jun's head, but she decided it wiser not to turn down his proposal.

"All right. I just hope my high-heels don't give way."

He grinned at her, not even attempting to conceal it.

---

It was, as Lee had said, very warm outside that night. As they walked back to their destination, which was close, but not quite so close, Jun began to feel more at ease with the dubious setting. It was far from what she had even begun to imagine their night would have ended up like.

"Did you enjoy it?"

She half looked up at him, her dreamy frame of mind interrupted.

"What?"

"The dinner."

"Oh." She smiled mildly. "Yes. Of course I did."

"Good. I've planning it for quite a while."

The sentence allowed the mists in her mind to clear somewhat. She did not understand what he meant. She decided to voice her confusion.

"I don't understand you," she told him finally.

He looked down at her, his expression faintly amused.

"Is it so very important to you?"

She thought a moment, then nodded. He smiled slightly again.

"I thought so. You're that type of woman. The analytical type, the kind that must always have a logical reason for everything." She stared at him, hardly able to contain her astonishment at the accuracy of his statement. He saw the look and recognised it. "It was an educated guess," he explained, somewhat morosely.

Feeling puzzled at his sudden mood swing, Jun decided to say nothing more on the matter. She had been fairly used to the attentions of men during her career as an undercover agent, but Lee's attentions were more ambiguous and worrying. There was something he was not telling her, and all this talk about 'educated guesses' only fuelled her curiosity.

There were only a few blocks left to walk before they reached the Mishima Building, and Jun had managed to get used to the lull of the silence when suddenly Lee spoke again.

"Who sent you, Jun?"

Jun froze momentarily, but her legs kept walking. The soft resoluteness of his voice told her that he knew what he was talking about, and so she didn't have time to pretend. Her only option was to be calm and collected about it. She realised now that all this time she and Lee had been fencing with each other.

"You know who sent me," she replied after a moment, her voice low. "A successful Conglomerate like the Mishima must have access to every database in the world. I'm sure you could find out every mundane detail about me, if you wanted to."

His smile was wry.

"You're a smart girl, Jun."

She said nothing. She did not particularly appreciate the compliment in the present situation. In fact, she felt irritated. It was painfully obvious to her now what the whole wining and dining business had been about. Now all she wanted to do was kick herself for falling for it.

"But not as smart as you thought," she continued dismally. "Otherwise I would never have accepted your invitation tonight." She paused, then stared at him. "You're spying on me too, aren't you, Lee."

"Of course," he retorted calmly. "From the beginning it was clear to both me and my brother that you were an undercover agent."

"But then why haven't you dealt with me yet?" she asked him cautiously, although they both knew what she really meant to say.

"For some reason, my brother's interested in you," Lee frowned, as though he disliked that fact. "We've had people like you before, Jun, and they have all conveniently…disappeared, shall we say."

Jun took in the information with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity. She hardly understood why Lee should be talking to her so freely about all these things.

"Kazuya's interested in me?" she repeated.

"Yes." He nodded.

"But what happens when he's discovered or used whatever he's interested in?" she queried.

Lee stopped, turning to face her.

"I don't know. You're lucky you're not dead yet as it is, Jun."

"I don't understand," she breathed. "I don't understand any of this." She cast her mind back over the night she'd trespassed onto the uppermost floor, of the strange words she'd uttered to Kazuya and the odd strength that had coursed through her. Whatever part she had to play in Kazuya's game, one thing was certain – the game had already begun.

"The Conglomerate is not a thing that is easy to understand," Lee told her. "And its nucleus, the Mishima family itself, is the hardest of all to comprehend."

There was a catch in his voice, something she could not quite read.

"You sound as if you hate your family," she ventured, hoping he wouldn't take offence. He did not look surprised as he gazed at her.

"No, Jun. I owe the Mishima everything. I'd do anything for the Conglomerate."

"Anything?" she questioned, taken aback at the calm determination in his voice.

He did not answer for a moment, but looked pensive.

"It was a promise I made to Heihachi…He adopted me as his heir, you see. But somehow, it's different with Kazuya. I can't keep my promises to him."

"I know," she couldn't help herself from saying. "You hate each other."

He tried to hide his surprise at her words, but she could still see it in his eyes.

"I promised him I would not touch you," he said, and the smile on his face was self-deprecating. "But I broke that promise, didn't I."

She blushed. She couldn't help it, it managed to come anyway. He saw her embarrassment, smiled again, then turned to walk back towards the building. Jun followed, her legs weak. There was too much coded information to sift through in one go. She knew now that Lee had admitted in some fashion that what had happened between them two nights before had not entirely been an act on his part. In fact, Kazuya had forbidden him to do anything of the sort, so he'd had nothing to gain from the event. But Kazuya's face when he'd walked in on them, that look in his eyes, the rage, the fire… and something else. Disappointment? That was what bothered Jun more.

She remained quiet until they reached the Mishima Building. Once outside the entrance he stopped and turned to her.

"We shall have to meet again some time," he told her evenly, suavely.

"Yes," she replied, confused, yet gratified. "Thank you, Lee."

His eyes seemed to catch something behind her, but then he smiled again at her, and this time it was the same old, sardonic smile.

"It was my pleasure," he answered casually, then he bent forwards and kissed her, long and hard. When he pulled away there was a small grin on his face.

"Goodnight, Jun."

It was as he turned to leave that she noticed Kazuya in the hallway.

He'd been watching them both from behind the glass rotating doors.

* * *

_Next: Lei uncovers the bizarre truth behind the kidnapping of Michelle's mother..._


	10. Unmaskings

**A/N:** Just to say a big thanks to all those who've been following the story and even more so to those who have taken the time to bother reviewing. It'd be really nice if you could keep up the comments and the constructive crit - just so I know what you all think about where the story's going, and more importantly, how it could be improved. I'm trying to give all the characters adequate airtime, while building up the relationship between Kazuya and Jun. It just takes time. ;)

Thanks again for the support! :D

-oOo-****

* * *

**:: IX :: Unmaskings**

Nina found herself spending more and more time in Akio's bed every night rather than her own. At first she had surprised herself, but then she had begun to grow comforted by it. It wasn't only the sex, and it was that fact that had puzzled her at first. Every night she would talk to him as they lay there; and not just about anything, but about herself. She told him about her job and her home and her family and even about Anna. He rarely spoke back to her about himself. Mostly he would lie there and listen, an intent look upon his face.

"Do you really hate your sister that much?" was one of the few questions he actually asked her.

"Yes," she returned shortly. "Anna and I never got on, even when we were children. Bot somehow, as we got older, the disagreements grew into a permanent hatred."

He looked at her questioningly, as though the logic of the whole affair escaped him.

"I know it sounds as if my sister and I let things get out of hand. Perhaps we did, in a way." She sighed, remembering. "Anna was always the family favourite. She was spoilt as a child. She used to get anything she wanted. My father used to give her everything she asked for." She paused, despondent. "I loved my father terribly, but he never seemed to notice me. His affections revolved around Anna. I was always left out of everything he did.

"Then, when Anna was eighteen, she went to work for the Mishima Conglomerate here in Japan. Father was devastated and became ill. I was the only one there for him, yet he always called for Anna, no matter what. So I phoned her and asked her to come and see him. But she said she was too busy, and she sounded all haughty and sophisticated, like we were all too insignificant for her.

"When she didn't arrive, father seemed to blame it on me. He said I didn't try hard enough to get her to come over. I couldn't do anything to console him. And then…"

Akio's face was serious.

"And then…?"

"And then he died. He died hating me," Nina finished on a breath, half-amazed she'd told him all this.

"Do you think your father's death is the whole cause of your hatred for one another?" he asked.

"No," she replied honestly. "We were always rivals, from the moment she was born. I can't remember a day when I haven't hated her."

She looked up at Akio then, at the silent watchfulness on his face. There was something in his eyes that told Nina that he was troubled about something. She wished he'd tell her what it was, just as she'd told him the things that troubled her.

But he never did.

* * *

"I have something really important to tell you."

Jun was holding the door to her room open, listening to Lei trying to explain himself. It was one in the morning, she had been trying to sleep, and frankly Lei was making no sense at all.

"Lei, slow down. What's going on? Why are you up so late?"

"I've been in the library," he said, clearly agitated.

"Library? Why?"

"Because…" he stopped mid-sentence and took a deep breath. "Look, just let me in, Jun. This is gonna take awhile."

Intrigued, Jun let him in and shut the door behind her.

"This had better be good, partner," she warned.

"It is. Listen, I was up in the library researching."

"Researching _what_?"

"It's a little complicated. You see, when Michelle's mother was kidnapped, she had in her possession this artefact – a pendant of some sort."

"So?" Jun interrupted, confused.

"Well, Michelle's mother is a Native American, as you may or may not have known," Lei continued at top speed. "And so I decided to look up some ancient Mayan legends to see if they mentioned anything about bright, shiny pendants."

"And what did you turn up?" Jun inquired, at a loss to know why this had anything to do with her.

"Zilch," Lei replied. "Except for one passage which refers to this monster called the God of Fighting – who just happens to wear a bright pendant around his neck!" he finished with a flourish.

"Excuse me," Jun began sarcastically, "but wouldn't practically every monster, god or hero in ancient Mayan texts wear a pendant of some description? I mean, it's not as if your 'find' is anything out of the ordinary."

"Yes, but I haven't finished yet," Lei continued impatiently. "You see, the myth says that this God of Fighting was kept alive by the pendant he wore, because the Mayan gods had breathed his life-force into the jewel embedded in it. And when the God of Fighting became corrupted by his power, and began to steal the fighting force of humans, the gods stole his pendant and put him to sleep. In other words, whoever has the pendant controls the God of Fighting."

Lei had been expecting Jun to laugh in his face, but to his surprise she slumped down on the nearest chair and stared ahead of her.

"Aren't you gonna tell me I'm crazy?" he asked her. She looked up after a moment, smiling at his humour.

"Lei, I have a feeling this God of Fighting has been unleashed already."

"What?! Jun, are you serious?!"

Jun nodded slowly. "I didn't want to tell you, Lei, but a couple of nights ago I went snooping. And I met Kazuya's mysterious advisor."

"You _what_?!"

"You heard me. The problem is, this advisor isn't human."

"Isn't human? Jun, is this some kind of joke?"

"No. Lei, I don't know what the hell it was, but I saw it with my own two eyes. And that's not all. It has some strange sort of power over Kazuya."

"So you're telling me this 'non-human' entity is the God of Fighting?"

"It's possible," Jun said. She looked up at Lei, who was pacing the floor thoughtfully.

"If what you say is true, Jun, then we're all in big trouble."

"I know."

"Then what are we going to _do_?"

Jun shrugged. "That I _don't'_ know. Besides, Lei, I've got something else to tell you that could complicate things even further."

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously, stopping in his tracks.

"They're onto me, Lei."

"What?! You mean they know about you working for the WWW?!"

"Yes, and they probably know about you too."

"But then why haven't they done anything about our presence here?"

"I don't know," Jun returned. "But it seems that Kazuya needs me for something. Apparently he's interested in something I have that he doesn't."

"Hmm." Lei looked deep in thought. "This is getting interesting. He could be using you to get information out of the other contestants. It would explain why he's gone to all that effort to get to know you."

"Yes," Jun replied doubtfully. "But somehow I think there's something more to it than that."

"Uh-huh, and what would that be?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not sure, but one thing's for certain. _I'm_ going to find out."

"I bet you will," Lei replied wryly, then turned serious again. "Wow, this is one complicated scenario. What I'm worried about is Michelle's mother. If Kazuya has already 'awoken' this God of Fighting, then he has no further use for Mrs. Chang. He could just conveniently dispose of her."

"How are you going to tell all this to Michelle?" Jun asked with concern.

"I'm not," Lei returned. "Not now anyway. I'll just have to find out what's really going on and keep quiet in the meantime."

"I hope you're not going to do anything dangerous, Lei," Jun warned him.

"Who, me?" he said innocently, smirking broadly.

* * *

Jun had gone back to Lee, or rather, he had asked her to come back to him. It had not been something Jun had liked to do in principle. She had found it hard to trust Lee, but somehow she had ignored that fact over time. It was partly her attraction to him, but also partly down to the fact that he did not turn her away. She did not like to say that Lee felt the same way about her, because she still wasn't sure about Lee's intentions. She was playing a dangerous game – she knew that – but as Kazuya knew about her background anyway, she had little to lose.

"You don't trust me," he said to her one day as they sat in his room and drank coffee. They had never really discussed anything of personal importance with each other, and so Jun was surprised at his statement.

"What makes you say that?" she questioned curiously.

"I can just tell," he replied complacently, in a way that annoyed Jun considerably.

"You seem to be able to tell a lot about me," she stated sourly.

"I've seen a lot of women like you," he explained with same indolent look on his face.

"And you wonder why I don't trust you?" she threw back at him irritably, only to have him shrug in reply.

"I'm afraid it's a part of me I can't quite control," he replied at last. Jun frowned at him.

"Why are you like that, Lee?" she asked him. "Why don't you care about anything? Do you do it to spite Kazuya?"

"Sometimes," he admitted. "Kazuya and I have never got on."

"And why's that?"

"Jealousy. He was jealous because Heihachi adopted me as his heir, and since Kazuya is the oldest brother and rightful heir to the Mishima, it must have been hard on him. Not that I'm sorry for him," Lee added quickly, "because he made my life hell all through our teenage years together. He still tries to make my life hell. I just have to throw what I can back in his face."

"But why would Heihachi want to make you his heir in the first place?" Jun questioned, puzzled. "He must have something against Kazuya, to disinherit his own son."

"I'm not bothered about it," Lee returned shamelessly, getting up to retrieve his cigarette pack from a nearby table. "You have to understand, Jun – the Mishima is a part of my life that I hate, and yet I am forced to love it. My only defence is to look at these matters with a certain ambivalence."

"But I thought you promised Heihachi…?" Jun interrupted, confused, but he stopped her.

"No – I have no love for my father. I'm merely grateful to him for giving me a safe, secure life." He lit his cigarette and took a drag without the slightest look of regret on his face. "My childhood in my homeland of China was spent during a time of political unrest. My future there was unstable. Heihachi brought me here, away from all that. He gave me food, clothing, shelter, money, all this…"

"But he never gave you the thing you needed most," Jun put in quietly. Lee smiled faintly at her.

"It never mattered. I've never known anything different." He turned to look out of the window for a moment, wordless, deep in thought.

"If it's any comfort to you," Jun ventured uncertainly, "I understand you a lot better now."

He laughed as he turned, a laugh of self-mockery.

"I have no need to be understood by you, Jun."

"I know. You want it to be easy for you, not too intense, not too deep." She paused and smiled slyly up at him. "I've met men like you before."

He caught her scornful tone.

"Do you think I'm taking advantage of you?" he asked, not missing a beat.

"Yes."

He stumped out his cigarette with extraordinary casualness. "I hate to admit this," he began, "but you're different from other girls, Jun."

"Isn't that what you say to every woman?" she retorted coolly, yet feeling irritated inside at his indifference.

"Oh, I usually do," he answered smoothly, sitting back down next to her, "but this time I really mean it."

He leant forwards to kiss her, but she stopped him.

"Lee, I don't think…"

"What, that there's something more between the both of us?" She watched him watch her silent face. "Do you think I'm just pretending to feel something for you?"

"Aren't you?" she started to say, feeling perplexed inside. She let him kiss her this time, but she still felt it hard to shake off the feeling that she shouldn't be getting mixed up in all this. Because now Kazuya's game was becoming more dangerous than it had been before. And Lee could be a player in his game too.

* * *

There had been no better way that to kill Kazuya off in his sleep. That was what Akio had told Nina. This plan will be foolproof, he told her. Nina had been doubtful at first. Kazuya's rooms were on the uppermost floors, and she had no idea how she was to get up there, nor how she was to pinpoint his actual bedroom. But once again Akio had managed to secure her a safe passage to the top of the Mishima Building and not only that but also a detailed plan of the uppermost floors. Nina had received the blueprints with a dubious look on her face.

"What's the matter?" Akio had asked, seeing her doubtful countenance.

"Where did you get these?" she questioned, her brow furrowed. "No one in the world has prints like these of the Mishima Building."

"I have good contacts." It was the usual phrase, but Nina was more than just suspicious.

"Your 'contact' is an insider, right?" she said, suddenly realising. "You've got someone _in_ the Mishima Conglomerate to help you with all this, haven't you."

Akio remained as nonchalant as ever.

"It's better if you pretend you don't know," he replied evenly. "What you don't know you can't give away."

"Oh come on!" Nina exclaimed, "I'm a trained agent!"

"Even trained agents are humans," he quipped, still stony-faced.

"And I'm beginning to think _you're_ not," she half-joked, half-scolded him.

And so now here she was, at the top of the Mishima Building, lowering herself down towards Kazuya's bedroom window, dressed in black, all her equipment tied to her belt. She had planned her escape route down to the very last detail, and yet somehow she still didn't feel very safe or secure. The problem was, her mind was on Akio. She found it hard to assess him and how his mind worked. She didn't like the fact it meant so much to her. Her job right now was to concentrate on the mission in hand, and then it would all be over. Or would it? There was something inside her that had suddenly become unsettled, and her work had begun to lose its usual buzz.

Nina shook her head, trying to clear her mind. _Focus, focus, focus_, she told herself between gritted teeth. _Focus, goddammit!_

She had stopped in front of Kazuya's bedroom window and was peering closely in. She could see the faint form of Kazuya lying on his bed, apparently asleep. There was no time for Nina to waste. She bent forwards and began to work at the computerized window locks with a miniature laser, which posed no problem since Akio had neutralized the locks through the main security system. After a while Nina was free to pull the windows open and quickly slip inside.

Kazuya was lying in bed, asleep, a serene look on his face. Nina stared at him a moment, almost amazed at how unassuming and defenceless he seemed in sleep, the great and powerful head of the Mishima empire, the King of the Iron Fist. She stood back and took out her silenced PPK. There was no time to feel sorry for him. If she had to kill him then she would do it. Lifting her gun, she aimed for his forehead. In a moment all this would be over.

She was just about to pull the trigger when suddenly Kazuya groaned and shifted in his sleep. The sudden movement was enough to startle Nina. Lowering her gun, she checked to make sure Kazuya was not awake. He still seemed to be asleep, but Nina soon realised that it was not him that worried her. _There was something else in the room_. That was what had caught her attention. She could not see what it was, but she could hear it. Disorientated and confused, Nina stood back and looked around her. The sound was a low hiss, a breath of wind that seemed to come from all corners of the room. It was a sound that chilled her to the very core.

"Who's there?" she whispered, her voice unable to stop shaking. "Who are you?"

There was another sound, this time from Kazuya. Nina shifted her gaze back to him, her heart racing. What she saw horrified her. Kazuya's face had changed, contorted until it did not seem to be his own. And the strange sound, that electrifying hiss, seemed to be emanating from his own mouth, even though it was closed.

A deep and new kind of fear rose in Nina and up into her throat. She had never been afraid of the tangible, of the physical, but now she somehow knew that what she was faced with now was the unknown. She stumbled backwards, petrified, unable to move. She did not know what was happening to Kazuya, but he looked more like a ghost than a man.

"This isn't happening," she whispered hard to herself. "Oh my God, this isn't happening!"

And then she saw it, standing beside Kazuya, on the other side of the bed. Someone, _something_, it's cold, red eyes boring into her. The look sent a new kind of terror running through Nina that she had never felt before. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. She wanted to vomit; she could feel the fear in her throat, rising, choking her, stifling her as if to death.

For the first time in her life, Nina turned and ran.

* * *

_Next: The relationship between Jun and Kazuya unexpectedly deepens..._


	11. Unfolding

**

* * *

::X:: Unfolding**

The weather had taken a turn for the worse and the sweltering heat had been replaced with a burst of tropical rainfall. Lei had not enjoyed being cooped up indoors, and was now more determined than ever to discover what had happened to Michelle's mother. Even more important though, was the matter of Michelle's pendant, and the far-fetched God of Fighting.

"I swear I must be going crazy," Lei muttered to himself as he paced his room relentlessly. "Of course there's no such thing as a God of Fighting. Jun must be having me on."

The problem was that even though the God of Fighting made no rational sense to Lei, at the back of his mind his policeman's curiosity had been aroused. With a dramatic sigh, Lei decided to get to the bottom of this mystery once and for all.

No sooner had he got to his door when suddenly Michelle knocked and promptly let herself in.

"Hi Lei," she greeted him, smiling brightly.

"Uh...Michelle..." Lei began, trailing off with surprise at her abrupt entrance. Michelle stared at him questioningly.

"What's the matter with you? You look all upset."

"Oh, nothing's the matter," Lei replied with feigned brightness. "Everything's just fine."

Michelle lifted an eyebrow.

"You may be a super-cop, Lei Wulong," she began hotly, "but you're some bad liar. Are you with-holding information about my mother?"

"Uh...no, of course not!" Lei stalled desperately. "Now why would I want to do that?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

Lei remained silent, hoping Michelle would give up and go away, but unfortunately, her eye managed to spot a nearby library book on his coffee table.

"What's that?"

Before he had time to stop her, Michelle had picked up the book and was scanning over its open pages.

"Michelle... I don't think you should read that..." Lei moved forwards to stop her, but it was already too late. Michelle stared up at him, pain and confusion on her face.

"God of_ Fighting_?"

Lei gave in.

"Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but I had nothing else to go on and ..."

"Too damn right it's crazy!" Michelle cried, slamming the book into his chest and temporarily winding him. "As if that pendant had anything to _do_ with an ancient monster! Do you know how insulting this is?!"

"I'm sorry," Lei apologised, rubbing his chest tentatively. "I know it sounds crazy, but..."

"But what?!" Michelle demanded, furious. Lei said nothing, an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Oh my God!" Michelle suddenly exclaimed, enlightened. "You really believe this, don't you! Lei, have you gone nuts? This is the real world we're dealing with here, not some hocus-pocus fantasy!"

"Hey, I wouldn't have believed it myself under the usual circumstances!" he insisted, looking injured. "But Jun... well, she said she _saw_ the beast! And Jun's one of the sanest people I know!"

"Are you _sure _about that?" Michelle queried, her face, nevertheless, beginning to show signs of anxiety.

"I'm not sure about anything anymore," he replied on a sigh, turning back to the door. "All I know is that I'm gonna trash the upper floors trying to find out!"

He was just about to pull open the door when Michelle suddenly grabbed urgently onto his arm.

"Lei, wait!"

"What the hell is it?!"

She paused and half-blushed, lowering her voice. "I don't want you getting hurt."

Lei gaped at her.

"Am I hearing this right? Are you actually saying you like me a lot?"

"I never said that!" she retorted in frustration. "What I meant was... I'm going with you!"

"No, you're not," Lei replied through gritted teeth. "You're staying right here."

"Why?!"

"Because I've got to protect you, and taking you with me isn't any way to be doing that."

"I can protect myself, thank you very much!" Michelle seethed. "God, what's your problem? Why are you always so goddamn sexist?!"

"I am not!" he snapped, stopping and calming himself with an effort before continuing. "I'm just afraid."

"Of what?"

"That I'll lose you," he replied under his breath. "Like her lost her before."

"Who?"

For a moment Lei looked as if he was about to reply; then he seemed to shake himself form his reverie and looked at her again.

"Look, I'm going to see Jun. I'll see if I can find out more from her. In the meantime, you just wait for me here."

Before she could stop him, Lei left the room, leaving Michelle to stare after him, a bewildered look on her face.

* * *

Jun had not been too pleased to see Lei at her door once again. For one thing he seemed his usual annoying self, and for another thing she was expecting Lee any moment.

"Lei, could I possibly have some peace and quiet for at least one little moment?" she pleaded in her best little-girl voice. She should have known, however, that it would not work on Lei.

"Nonsense!" he assured her. "I haven't bothered you for ages now! I think that's enough 'peace and quiet' for you , Miss. Kazama."

"Well, what do you want?" Jun asked impatiently, glancing at her watch. "I'm expecting someone."

Lei immediately began to look suspicious.

"Oh, are you? It doesn't happen to be that pretty-boy Lee Chaolan, does it?"

"As a matter of fact," Jun replied tartly, "it does."

"I knew it!" Lei cried, rolling his eyes. "I knew this would happen! It's like I always say – never send a woman to do a man's job!"

"All right," Jun began, a dangerous look on her face, "I'm going to give you a choice. Either I give you a slap in the face, or you get out of here right now."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Lei groaned. "I did come here for a reason other than to irritate you, believe it or not."

"Is that a fact?" Jun cried in mock amazement. "Well then, get on with it before my generosity runs out."

"Well, this is serious," Lei began in a calmer voice. "Jun, I need to know whether you really _did_ see something strange that night. I mean, if you're having me on..."

"Of course it was real," she replied indignantly. "Do you think I'd joke about something like that?" She paused and shivered at the thought of it. "Lei, I swear that thing, whatever it was, it was dangerous. And I think it possessed Kazuya."

"Yeah, that's what you told me last time," Lei nodded.

"Yes, but something really strange happened..." Jun sat down slowly, still shocked inside about what had occurred that night. "You see, it spoke to me. It told me I had been 'chosen'. And then there was _another_ creature, one that seemed to be female, but was benign..."

"Wait a minute," Lei interrupted excitedly. "You mean there were _two_ creatures? And one said you had been chosen? For _what_?"

Jun was just about to answer when a knock at her door prevented her from speaking.

"That'll be Lee," she told Lei with feigned politeness. "You'd better behave yourself."

"Oh sure," Lei replied sarcastically as Jun got up to open the door. "I'll just get up and get out and let you two get down to it, shall I?"

Jun passed him an evil look as she pulled the door open to reveal Lee.

"Lee, hi," Jun greeted him brightly, only to have Lei suddenly brush past her.

"Right, I'm going. See ya, Jun."

"Who was that?" Lee asked once Lei had made his escape.

"You know who he is," Jun told him archly, shutting the door. "The question you should be asking is: why was he here?"

Lee looked at her closely.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

Jun took a deep breath in before she spoke.

"Lee, you told me that Kazuya needs me, and that's why he's keeping me in the tournament."

"Yes," he replied expectantly.

"Do you have any idea why he needs me?"

"What makes you think I'd know?"

Jun paused before she spoke. She did not like to confide in Lee, but now circumstances were different.

"Lee, this is important. Have you...have you ever met Kazuya's secret advisor?"

For a split second Lee looked stunned, then speechless. When next he spoke his voice was oddly tight.

"Jun, what do _you_ know about all this?"

Jun gazed back at him, her heart in her mouth. She didn't know how she was going to explain to him what had happened to her, but if Kazuya needed her – and if his mysterious advisor had 'chosen' her – then she needed to know what was going on, even if it was from Lee.

"Lee," she began, "I..."

She'd hardly begun her sentence, when a second knock sounded at the door. Jun exhaled with relief and walked slowly to the door. As she opened it she saw one of Kazuya's bodyguards standing in the doorway.

"Miss. Kazama," he began briefly, "Mr. Mishima wishes to see you."

Jun looked back at Lee, expectancy on her face. Lee addressed the bodyguard quietly.

"It's all right: you may go. I'll take her myself."

* * *

During the time Jun spent walking to Kazuya's office, there was only one thing that was occupying her mind – the fact that at last things were beginning to happen. Perhaps now she would finally know where she stood in all this, and, if things went right, she would be able to play the situation to her advantage. Nevertheless, there was a sense of foreboding in her as she neared her destination. Whatever Kazuya's secrets were, the chances were that they were not the kind of secrets that would give Jun the power to make bargains.

They finally stopped outside Kazuya's office, a set of polished oak double-doors with gold handles. Jun Looked at Lee nervously.

"It'll be all right," Lee assured her softly. "I'll wait for you here."

Jun smiled tentatively at him, knocked lightly on the door, then pushed it open.

The light was dim inside the great room, and at first Jun found it hard to work out where everything was. It was as her eyes grew used to the relative darkness that she began to appreciate the grand scale of the room. Like the rest of the building, Kazuya's office was painted in beige and grey and full of streamlined chrome and glass. And yet, the feel of the room was bit unpleasant, or belittling. Kazuya's large desk stood at the back of the room, underneath a large set of imposing windows. Here the blinds had been pulled down halfway, producing the darkened effect that now filled the room. By the window stood Kazuya himself, his back turned to Jun.

"Good afternoon, Miss. Kazama," came his voice, and Jun could somehow sense something cold and dark in his intonation.

"You wanted to talk to me?" she managed to say, still not quite sure of her bearings. There was a silence during which Kazuya passed a short, scornful laugh – and yet, as he did so, there was a bitter ring to it.

"You have little idea," he finally spoke, "of what's going on, do you."

Jun remained silent. She did not know whether it was safe to let on how much she knew already.

"Do you remember," he began again, "what happened that night?"

"What night?" she asked uncertainly.

"Don't pretend!" he cried, and this time his voice was angry. "Don't pretend you don't remember!" There was a pause, and then his voice became calm again. "You ran away, Jun. You left me."

Jun knew instinctively what he was talking about. She remembered the strange being, the cold, wise eyes, the power that emanated from it and into Kazuya. It felt odd to her, because during the time she had witnessed the whole scenario, she had wanted desperately to help Kazuya and yet she had run from him. She felt guilty now, as though he had accused her of something terrible. Inside her was arising the urge to help him again, but she was afraid of what would happen if she did.

"Kazuya," she rose her voice as she addressed him, "please tell me what's going on. I don't understand any of this."

He turned then, away from the window, and Jun was struck at how gentle his eyes seemed.

"Come here," he ordered her, his voice soft. Jun obeyed, somehow feeling more secure. As she neared him she could see the difference in his face, serene and less troubled. "Miss. Kazama," he continued slowly, "you must understand that what you saw that night was something no other person has seen before. I don't mean to say that you are privileged, Miss. Kazama. No. What I mean to say is that what you saw could have cost you your life."

Jun shuddered instinctively. Now it was coming. She could feel it.

"Why do you think," he began again softly, his hand fingering a pen on his desk gently, "that I have let you stay alive?"

"Because," Jun began, trying hard to breathe, "because you have been told to? Because I have been chosen?"

Kazuya suddenly stood straight, and Jun jumped as she saw the fury in his eyes.

"No!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing in the room. He looked as if he would fly into a rage, but once again something changed in his face and he began calm again. "No – you're right. You _have_ been chosen. I can't change that."

"Chosen for _what_?" Jun spoke, mad with suspense. Kazuya, however, seemed to ignore her.

"Jun, I need you," he rejoined softly. "I need you, Jun."

She felt it again – a sharp pang in her heart, not of sympathy, but something more. She couldn't help it – it was there. She swallowed hard, feeling as though she would suddenly weep.

"What do you need me for?" she whispered.

He looked at her then, and there was both pain and fear in his eyes.

"I need you to help me, Jun. This thing inside me... it's eating me up. I can't get away from it." His hands were on her shoulders now, gripping on tightly, yet Jun hardly felt it. "I'm afraid of it, Jun, and I've never been afraid in my life. I know what you're thinking – that there's nothing you can do, that's what you're thinking. But I know you can help me, Jun. There's something about you..."

He stopped, lowered his head, and took a sharp intake of breath. Jun found herself suddenly helping him stand upright, this man she hardly knew and yet found she shared some inexplicable bond with. The realisation hit here like lightning – wherever she was, whatever _it_ was, she had feelings for Kazuya Mishima, feelings that nonetheless she could not place.

"I'll help you," she began to say without thinking about forming the words in her mouth. "I'll help you, I promise..."

She remembered the woman in white who had stood there in the mirrors, watching her and Kazuya that night on the topmost floor. She remembered the odd strength that had coursed through her, the need to help Kazuya no matter what. She had no idea what it was that had brought them together, and yet, as she pressed her lips to Kazuya's own, she somehow knew that they would never leave each other again.

* * *

Lee had not been waiting long before Jun re-emerged from Kazuya's room. From the drawn look on her face he could tell that something had happened, but instead of her turning to him, she hardly seemed to notice him at all.

"Jun," he greeted her, puzzled at her quietness. "Are you all right? What happened?"

Jun turned to him as if she had only just realized he was there. There was a look of dazed confusion on her face, and also a certain touch of fear.

"Lee..." she breathed, seemingly surprised at his presence. Lee, seeing the frightened look on her, began to grow alarmed. What had Kazuya said to her? For once he felt truly angry with his brother – far angrier than he'd ever felt before.

"Jun, what the hell did he do to you? Jun, what did he say?"

"I don't know... I don't understand..." she began to say, pressing a hand to her temple. "...I don't know why I feel this way..."

"What?" Lee caught hold of her arm and held tight. "What do you mean?"

To Lee's amazement, Jun suddenly lifted her arm and pushed him away roughly.

"Lee, please! I don't want to talk about it!" She stopped and dropped her head, trying to catch her breath. "Please, just go, just leave me."

He stared at her, shocked at her words, unable to speak.

"Lee," she started again, her eyes on him. "Please, just leave me. I can't see you anymore. I don't _want_ to see you anymore."

"Why?" Lee voiced in confusion, but Jun had already swiveled round and was running down the corridor, away from him.

Lee stood, fuming. He wasn't sure why he was angry. He half considered tackling Kazuya about this latest episode, but something stopped him. Perhaps he was not angry with Kazuya at all. Perhaps it was because he'd lost his chances of bedding Jun instead.

For once in his life, Lee felt guilty, truly guilty. He had not wanted to admit it, but he had begun to have feelings for Jun. Lee wiped at his face with the back of his hand and frowned hard at himself. Well, he'd found out a little too late, because it seemed that Miss. Jun Kazama had just walked out of his life for good.

He'd hardly had time to get his head round it all when he saw Anna approaching him. normally he would have avoided the sight of her, but now he was too deep in thought for that.

"Lee, what's wrong?" she asked once she had neared him. "You look all upset."

"I'm fine," he replied after a short pause. "Nothing's wrong."

"I saw Jun," Anna began archly. "She seemed pretty eager to get away from here."

"Anna, it's nothing, okay?"

"Is that so?" Anna raised an eyebrow.

"_Yes_. Now if you don't mind, I have to go and find her." He made as if to brush past her, but she stopped him.

"Lee, wait."

"Anna, do you mind...?"

"Lee," there was a sly look on her face, "what's going on? Why are you so bothered about that goody-goody Jun Kazama? I mean, you've been a lot of her lately, haven't you."

"That's because Kazuya ordered me to keep an eye on her."

"And since when have you obeyed Kazuya's orders so religiously?" she returned hotly. "Lee, don't lie to me. I _know_ you. Do you think I was with you for all that time without learning _something_ about you?" She paused, letting the words sink in. "You want her, don't you. I can see it in your eyes, Lee."

"It's more than that," he insisted savagely, amazed at what he'd just admitted.

Anna snorted. "Come on, Lee. You just want her in your bed, that's all you care about Lee Chaolan, you'll never change."

He said nothing, unable to decide whether what she'd said was the truth or not. He could not look at her for fear of realising that what she said was true.

"I understand exactly how you feel," she continued softly. "We're both the same, Lee. We both have siblings we hate, that's why we are the way we are. In fact, I'm the only one who understands you and you know it."

Lee looked at her then, straight into her clear blue eyes, for the first time in years. She returned his gaze, replying his unspoken question with an unspoken answer. Her hand on his arm softened, and he caught the trace of a smile on her crimson lips.

"All right," he said, or imagined he said. It didn't matter. She understood what he meant anyway.

* * *

There had been an ominous feeling in the pit of Nina's stomach ever since she had last tried to take Kazuya's life. It was not that she was afraid of explaining the failure of her mission to Heihachi – it was what she had witnessed in Kazuya's room that had terrified her. She had met up with Akio again, still feeling shaken from the night before.

"What the hell happened out there?" he demanded, half-worried, half-angry. "I waited for you for ages and when you didn't turn up you didn't even call me!"

"I'm sorry," Nina apologized, hoping her voice wasn't shaking too much, "but something unexpected turned up." She stopped, seeing the incredulous look on his face. "I take you told Heihachi I failed."

"Of course I did!" Akio looked irritated. "Nina, this isn't like you. What on earth made you screw up?"

Nina was just about to answer when her cell phone went off. Sighing, she picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?"

"What the hell were you thinking of?" Heihachi's voice rasped through the receiver. "Nina, this was your last chance and you blew it!"

"Wait," Nina stopped him. "I have something to tell you."

"Well, it'd better be good, because you're as good as dead, Ms. Williams."

"I had a good reason for bailing out on this," she replied carefully. "When I went to Kazuya's room, something prevented me from dispatching him. And it wasn't just anything."

"What?" Heihachi's vopice returned, curious now.

Nina took in a breath and looked at Akio, who was staring at her with some confusion.

"It was some sort of monster. I didn't get to see it properly, but it was there all right. It had some sort of control over Kazuya."

Heihachi's voice was wary when next he spoke. "Control over Kazuya?" There was a pause. "The Devil."

"Devil?" Nina repeated. "What do you mean?"

Heihachi didn't answer her question. "Nina, I need you to help me."

"Aren't I doing that already?" she asked archly.

"No – listen. I'm going to join the tournament myself."

"_What_?"

"You heard me. I'm coming in. And I need your help."

* * *

It was still storming outside and Lee could hear the sound of rain pelting on the window as he stepped into Anna's bedroom from the shower. Anna was sprawled out on the bed lazily smoking a cigarette and staring at Lee as he towelled his damp hair dry.

"What's the matter, Lee?" she asked him, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "You haven't spoken once since we got here."

"Nothing's wrong," he replied shortly, avoiding eye contact with her. There was a churning feeling in his gut – he felt sick. Anna seemed to catch something of his mood.

"Are you still thinking about our little Miss Jun Kazama?" she threw at him sarcastically, glaring at him from under thick black eyelashes.

"So what if I am?" he retorted, trying not to sound hot and bothered about it but not entirely succeeding.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, a wry smile on he face. "I don't know whether to take offence or not. Could it be that all the time you've been here with me you've been thinking about another woman?"

Lee scowled at her, threw the towel onto the bed and grabbed his shirt.

"This isn't like you, Lee," Anna continued relentlessly, "I'm beginning to worry about you."

"Then go ahead and worry," he replied acidly, doing up on button after another in quick succession. "At least it'll give you something to do without giving me hell at the same time."

"Ooh, that stung," she returned lazily. "I could think of more recreational ways to hurt me, Lee."

"Look," Lee began in exasperation, "can you leave it for once, Anna? I'm not in the mood."

Anna smirked and pulled out a packet of cigarettes from her nearby handbag. "Wanna light?"

Lee obligingly took a cigarette from the packet and lit it up with his own lighter. "Thanks," he threw at her begrudgingly.

"So tell me," Anna began conversationally, ignoring his tone. "What is it about her? What exactly is it I should learn from Miss Jun Kazama?"

Lee caught the tone of mockery in her voice.

"Have you finished yet?"

"No, I really want to know." She sighed. "You know, Lee, I really thought you and I had a chance of getting back together, but it seems you've gone up in the world."

"Don't give yourself such a hard time," he told her sardonically. "After all, I'm sure you'll find someone else to warm your bed in time. Besides, why would you want me? I'm just a player, right?"

"I didn't meant to say those things," Anna began to lose her temper. "I was just angry. And why are you acting so smug anyway? If you're so hot for Jun then why did you just sleep with me?"

"Anna, there's nothing for you to worry about. Jun doesn't want to see me anymore." He pulled his shoes quickly. "But that doesn't change the fact that sleeping with you was a big mistake."

Anna said nothing, fuming inwardly with anger as Lee continued.

"I shouldn't have done it because I care about Jun, okay? But you happened to be there when my pride was wounded and so I guess I got a little carried away." He stood up straight and smiled mercilessly at her. "And since you were available..." He trailed off, shrugging as if to make light of the matter.

"You're scum, Lee," Anna hissed through gritted teeth.

"Perhaps, but it doesn't really matter now," he muttered, a hint of regret in his voice. He stopped and picked up her dress from the floor. "You'd better put some clothes on," he told her, throwing the garment at her, "you'll catch cold sitting like that."

"You bastard," she returned vehemently, shoving the dress away from her. Lee, however, had already made for the door.

"Thanks for the cigarette," he smirked at her before closing the door behind him. Anna stood up and threw the dress on the floor in a temper. After all she and Lee had shared together he'd rewarded her with this, and she suddenly felt used and dirty. And yet she still cared for him, still she lusted after him. Well, Anna thought, if he truly wasn't interested in her anymore then she'd make sure that the last nail was firmly hammered into the coffin of his cosy little attraction to Jun Kazama.

* * *

_Next: Heihachi makes his move, and Jun finally meets with Wang..._


	12. True Colours

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update. Reeaaaally sorry. I was in Hong Kong for a month and took my time typing out the next chapter when I arrived back in the UK. But here it is! Enjoy!

And a big thanks to all those who've been keeping up with the story, and to those who've taken the time to review. You rock! Muah!

-oOo-

* * *

**: XI : True Colours**

As soon as Jun had escaped from Lee she had locked herself in her room and thought hard. In truth she was bewildered and confused and she had little time to think of Lee himself. Something inside her had awoken towards Kazuya, something that even now she found difficult to comprehend.

Jun groaned and went to pour herself a glass of water. She felt she'd made an utter mess of things. It had been her job to get to the bottom of Kazuya Mishima's underworld empire, and all she had succeeded in doing was getting herself caught up in his mind-games. Or were they mind-games? She couldn't be sure – what she'd felt had been so real. It was almost as if in the face of Kazuya's demands her real personality had been obliterated and replaced with another.

She decided that a walk would clear her head, so she left for the gardens. As she walked towards the elevator she spotted a dark figure watching her from the corner of her eye. She stopped, heart beating fast, but whoever it was remained shrouded in darkness.

"Who's there?" she finally spoke.

For a moment there was no answer; then the figure stepped out from the shadows and into the light. Jun stared, shocked.

"Wang Jinlei," she breathed. The wizened old man smiled at her warmly.

"It's a pleasure to see you again so soon, Miss Kazama," he greeted her softly. "I never thought I would meet you, one of my most promising pupils, ever again."

"I thought you were avoiding me," Jun replied warily.

"I was," he returned briefly. "I was simply waiting for the right moment."

"Which is now," Jun concluded softly, half to herself.

"I would like you to come with me, Miss Kazama," Wang began unblinkingly.

"Where?"

There was a glint in the old man's eyes.

"To see what you came here to see."

Jun followed him to the elevators, her mind whirling, her body tensed. Once inside the lift, Wang produced a small contraption that fitting neatly into a nearby keypanel. As Jun watched him, she finally found the courage to speak.

"Who exactly are you taking me to?"

Wang half smiled. "To a man named Dr. Bosconovitch."

"Oh," Jun replied, suddenly enlightened. She watched on as Wang's contraption granted access to floors that Jun had not even known existed – underground levels. "How clever," she murmured at the simplicity of it all. "All the while we thought your secret projects were going on on the top high-level security levels. We never guessed that underground floors existed at all."

"The Mishima have a lot to hide," Wang told her calmly.

"So why are you letting me in on all this?" she asked, puzzled.

"Because," Wang told her patiently, "Kazuya wishes you to see what you need to see."

"Kazuya…?" she repeated, but before she could ask anymore, the lift had stopped and the doors had slid open. Wang brushed past her into the corridor.

"Follow me."

* * *

The passageways were a cold, clinical white, along each wall running thick, identical metal doors. As Jun's footsteps echoed on the floor, the buzz of the electric lights hummed menacingly overhead. From the looks of things, it was easy to deduce that these were highly guarded science labs.

Eventually Wang stopped outside one door, and after using a keycard was free to step inside the room, Jun reluctantly following behind. Once inside she looked with curiosity about her. What she saw amazed her.

The room appeared to be a laboratory, filled with transparent, pressurised chambers. Inside these chambers were various animals being tested on by white-garbed scientists. Jun stepped forward to get a better look. Here was all the evidence she'd ever need for her investigation – more than she could have hoped for. Wang noticed the look of astonishment on her face and gave her a slight smile.

"If you'd like to follow me, Miss. Kazama," he spoke.

Feeling like she was in a dream, she allowed herself to be led by Wang past the chambers to the other end of the lab. There, inside one final chamber, was a huge bear, having blood samples taken from a number of scientists. Jun stopped.

"And this is…"

"Yes – Kuma," Wang supplied obligingly. "We are currently attempting to enhance his capabilities for the tournament."

"Does he usually live confined like this?" she asked.

"No. Kuma is one of our special subjects. He has a room of his own and is allowed to roam the building as he wishes. Within limits, of course." He smiled wryly. "Kuma is more like a human than a bear. He was trained from birth to be Heihachi's bodyguard. He has grown up with humans, in fact. In many ways, he understands us more than his own kind."

"And he's supposed to thank us for that?" Jun inquired, eyebrows raised. Wang's lips twitched, but he said nothing, turning towards a heavily guarded, high-security door.

"I have something more important to show you," he stated, ushering her past the guards and through the door. "This room," he continued in his usual understated manner, "holds our top-secret research projects." He indicated to a nearby glass chamber. "This is Roger."

To Jun's amazement a black, beady-eyed kangaroo was looking at her from behind the bulletproof glass.

"And this is Alex," he said, pointing to another chamber nearby. As Jun followed his gaze, she was shocked to see what appeared to be a real-life dinosaur – a raptor – looking at them through cold, reptilian eyes.

"How…?" Jun began to say, only to falter off.

"It's merely a simple technique of DNA extraction," Wang explained calmly. "There are plenty of dinosaur fossils that are owned by the Conglomerate, and over the years our scientists perfected the cloning technology to such a point that they were able to recreate an entire dinosaur without any genetic defects. The result was Alex."

"Like _Jurassic Park_," Jun added dryly.

"Yes. But we didn't just recreate a dinosaur. We mutated the DNA to create an enhanced intelligence and muscle structure. Roger and Alex here have been developed into the most powerful and efficient fighters on this planet."

"And let me guess," Jun cut in, crossing her arms, "You plan to clone them."

"Yes," Wang returned nonchalantly. "Soon we will have an army of fighters so powerful the world will fall at their feet."

Jun said nothing. All she could do was stare at the two animals, the ambivalent look in their deadpan eyes. She could see no pain, no feeling in them – only when the instinct to kill was aroused in them would any sense of emotion fill them. Her eyes almost filled at such cruelty. All she could think was, _is Kazuya really as mad as all this?_

Next Wang took her to see Dr. Bosconovitch. He was an old, pale man, frail and wrinkled who found difficulty in walking. It was clear, however, from his first words that he was an outstanding genius. He spoke to Jun of the various cloning processes that he was working on – of DNA structures, hormones, chemicals, and all in such a way that Jun could not possibly follow it all.

"So," Jun began to ask as soon as she could get a word in, "you created Alex and Roger, and you've worked on Kuma too?"

"Of course," Bosconovitch nodded," but these are only minor achievements. I have much greater plans for my cloning process."

"Namely world domination?" Jun asked wryly.

Bosconovitch looked stunned. "Of course not! I'm hoping to clone stem cells for my daughter. She has a rare illness for which there is no cure. Hopefully I will be able to replace her damaged cells with healthy cloned ones. When I've found a way to do this, my daughter's health will be the crowning achievement of my career."

Jun found she instantly had a liking for the old man.

"Well I hope you find your cure,"

"I will," he assured her, "one day. But at the moment I am very busy. You see, I also work in the Research and Design Division. I had just finished working on a new robot, Jack 2. He has just entered the tournament, along with his prototype model."

"Another killing machine?" Jun asked testily.

"That's such a primitive term, Miss Kazama," he replied with a grin. "Actually the Jack models were designed to replace Russian military conscripts. Unfortunately the Jack 2 model that has entered the tournament showed uncharacteristic human traits and emotions which got him decommissioned. My plan is to study his human responses throughout the tournament."

Jun was allowed to speak to the doctor a few minutes more before Wang interrupted.

"I'm afraid your little trip is over, Miss. Kazama," he told her lightly. "We should be getting back now."

Before she left she was very much surprised to be presented with a sheaf of Bosconovitch's photocopied documents on practically all his projects.

* * *

"There's still one thing I don't understand," Jun said after they had left the laboratory. "And that's why exactly Kazuya wanted to let me see all this in the first place. Surely the last thing he'd want is for someone who is investigating him to witness all the evidence she needs."

"Perhaps Kazuya feels you are to be trusted in some way," Wang suggested.

"Trusted for what? My job is to investigate him, I'll have no choice but to report him." She paused, suddenly finding a more foreboding reason for Kazuya's unexpected cooperation. "Unless, of course, he thinks I'm never going to get the chance to report him. Perhaps his plan is to stop me from leaving the Mishima altogether."

Wang said nothing, and Jun was left to her thoughts as they returned to her room. Try as she might, she could not believe Kazuya's purpose was world-domination, sinister as he seemed.

"Would you like to come in?" Jun offered him once she was in her room. "I think there's still a lot we have to talk about."

Wang smiled a little and obligingly entered the room, sitting in the chair she offered him.

"What is it you need to ask me about?"

"Many things," she answered candidly. "I wouldn't know where to start."

"I know what you've been planning to ask me from the beginning."

"You do?"

"You want to know why I'm here, don't you."

"Yes," Jun admitted after a pause. "I had no idea you were a member of the Mishima Conglomerate. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It hardly seemed important. I had no idea our paths would cross again. You were still a child when I first met you."

"But then… how long have you been working here?"

"A very long time," Wang replied with a smile. "I have been a close personal friend of the Mishima family nearly all my life. Heihachi's father, Jinpachi, was my best friend. But it was Heihachi who asked me to become head of the Hong Kong branch when the company first began to take off. I've been here ever since. Long before we first met, in fact."

"I see," Jun mused. "Then… you've seen Kazuya grow up?"

"Yes."

"Has he always been so…cold?"

"More or less. His mother died when he was still a very small child. And then Heihachi adopted Lee. Heihachi took no further interest in his son's affairs. Perhaps that was his most fatal mistake."

Jun nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. He left the way open for Kazuya to be manipulated by the God of Fighting."

Wang sat up. "God of Fighting?"

"Yes. I think Kazuya's secret advisor is the God of Fighting."

Wang suddenly broke into a wide smile. "I see you've been doing your homework well, Jun. However, you are not entirely correct. We have no idea how to release the God of Fighting. That is why we are still currently holding Michelle Chang's mother with the hope of gaining more information from her."

"So you _did_ kidnap Mrs. Chang," Jun exclaimed, half to herself.

"I hear the contempt in your voice," Wang observed gently.

"Are you surprised?" Jun asked hotly.

"No." Wang shook his head somewhat regretfully. "Although the Mishima are my dearest friends, they have no yet learnt that power corrupts and this is a fault that has hounded them from the very outset. It has led them to commit desperate acts in the past, and will in the future." He stood up and made for the door. "You do understand, Jun, that should you progress far enough into the tournament, I will be the one you'll be faced with. And I won't go easy on you."

"I know you won't," she sighed. "I don't expect you to."

Wang smiled down on her benevolently.

"Try not to worry about it. Just remember all I taught you and you should be fine."

"Thank you," she said, standing up. "Thank you, Wang sensei."

"No. Thank _you_, Miss Kazama. It has been…a pleasure to speak to you again." He turned to the door, looked back at her once and sent her an inscrutable smile. "And now that you have learnt all that I have told you tonight, only one question remains to be asked.

"If Kazuya's secret advisor is not the God of Fighting, then who is it?"

-oOo-

* * *

Kazuya had been amazed and not particularly pleased to hear the sound of a ruckus outside in the gardens below. He had gone to the window attempting to find out what was going on, but the rain and the darkness had obscured the figures below. He was just about to find out personally what the cause of all the commotion was when a security guard quickly knocked at the door and stepped inside.

"I'm sorry, sir," he began breathlessly, "but there is an intruder outside. He claims to be your father."

"Heihachi," Kazuya half whispered. He looked up. "How did he get past our security?"

"I'm not sure," the man replied, somewhat nervously. "He might have had an accomplice who has access to our security database. Perhaps the same person who attempted to take your life earlier in the tournament."

"Is he still out there?"

"Yes, sir."

Kazuya thought a moment. "I shall go down and see him myself."

The storm had intensified as Kazuya swept into the garden, his long black coat flapping behind him. Heihachi was being held back by four bodyguards, soaked to the bone, a menacing look on his face.

"Ah, Kazuya," he greeted his son mockingly. "I've waited a long time for this moment. Thought I was dead, did you?" He began to laugh, his voice echoing raspingly.

"You are mistaken, father," Kazuya replied, soft and dangerous. "I have been preparing for your return for some time now. I knew you couldn't resist the urge to wreak your revenge on me."

Heihachi scowled fiercely at him. "You have no idea, Kazuya, of how hard my vengeance will come down on you."

"Only time shall tell," Kazuya returned coldly. "Perhaps you may find that I am not so weak as you thought I was. And that Lee is not so strong as you suspected." He sneered. "Your 'favourite' son is like a leaf in the wind, first tossed one way and then another. He follows any course of action that benefits him the most, like the greedy pig he is. And, fortunately for me, my terms stand out to benefit him the most. Unlike yours." His face contorted in disdain as he looked upon his father. "Look at you, you look like you've just crawled out of your own grave. You have no idea how much it pleases me to see you where I once stood, a beggar, a nobody."

"Do not speak too soon, son," Heihachi spat through gritted teeth. "You may find yourself eating your own words."

"Unfortunately, I have every confidence that you will be long dead before that happens," Kazuya retorted, looking bored. "Lee shall see to that."

"Then you are turning my own son against me!" Heihachi raged.

"_Adopted_ son, father," Kazuya corrected him cuttingly. "He is none of your flesh and blood. I'm afraid that it is I who carries _that_ burden, and as long as you live that fact will be left to fester in your mind like an old wound."

"Not for long, Kazuya, not for long," Heihachi hissed with venom. "Soon I shall be rid of you and I shall reclaim all that I have invested in my whole life."

"We shall see," Kazuya finished with an air of having concluded the matter. "In the meantime, please feel free to stay in the building as you wish."

"What, stay like a guest under the roof of the very building I built myself!" Heihachi threw aside the hands of the bodyguards that were holding him back. "I'm going to sleep out on the streets. It's the only place I feel welcome nowadays."

"If that's the way you feel," Kazuya shrugged. "As long as it prevents my carpets from being soiled."

Heihachi threw his son a look of disgust, turned without a word, and disappeared into the night. Kazuya smiled a smirk of satisfaction, nodded to his bodyguards and began to walk back towards the building; and still the smile did not leave his face.

-oOo-

* * *

Since Wang had given Jun her convenient little tour of the Mishima underworld – at least only a small and relatively less sinister slice of it – she had plenty of time to ruminate over her troubles. She began to regret what she'd said to Lee. Despite the short time she had known him she still found that she felt something for him. And yet, even though she'd had time to get over her strange encounter with Kazuya, she found herself still accountably drawn to the enigmatic young man.

Still, she had been ready to make up with Lee when a surprised run-in with Anna suddenly changed her mind.

"So how are you enjoying your stay here?" Anna had asked with an obviously feigned look of concern. Jun glanced at her suspiciously. She hadn't spoken to Anna at all during her time in the tournament, and her sudden interest in Jun's welfare was peculiar to say the least.

"I'm enjoying it just fine," Jun replied coolly.

"I'm sure you are," Anna answered with equal coolness. "I see you've been spending a lot of time with Lee Chaolan recently," she added flippantly. Jun blinked at her. Anna continued with a small smile on her face. "Oh yes. Lee makes things infinitely more exciting around here."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Jun retorted in irritation. "Because if you are will you just come out and say it?"

"Are you sure you want to know the truth?"

"About Lee? I think I know enough, thanks."

"I'm not sure you do," Anna replied calmly. "Lee is a player. Always has been, always will be." She paused. "You should've been kinder to him when you blew him off the other day. As soon as he's finished with one woman, he jumps straight into the bed of another. As luck would have it, I was the first person he bumped into after you left him."

"Is that so?" Jun replied, suddenly brimming with anger. "Well, as you're going to such great lengths to keep me away from him, you're welcome to him. Since you both seem to be as bad as each other, I suppose you deserve to be together."

Anna watched Jun storm off with a smug, satisfied smile on her face. That was, of course, exactly what she'd wanted to hear.

* * *

The sound of Lee's door being thrown open had mildly surprised him, especially when he'd seen an irate Jun standing in the frame.

"I'm not impressed, Lee," she seethed as he stared at her, eyebrows raised, "I am _not_ impressed."

"Excuse me, did I miss something?" he asked.

"Oh no, you didn't miss anything – you never do, do you?" she answered acidly, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Meaning?" he shrugged, a questioning look on his face.

"Meaning you don't have to pretend to me Lee Chaolan, because we both know just how close you are to Miss Anna Williams!"

Lee stared at her a moment, then began to laugh. "Jun, does this little show of jealousy actually mean that you like me a lot?"

"No, it means I hate you a lot, are you deaf or something?"

"My, who would've thought there could be such fire in such a small girl?" he remarked lazily.

"What did you think I was, some simpering, pretty little girl with sugar on top!" she exploded. "God, Lee, I thought you'd met women like me before!"

"And I thought you said you'd met men like me before," he returned, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "You know, the cheating, lying scum who take advantage of you. What did you expect?"

"I don't know!" she finally broke out in frustration. "I don't _know_! I thought… you told me… there was something there…"

He looked at her crestfallen face, and for the first time in his life a hint of regret touched him. "I'm sorry," he finally managed.

"Me too," she replied quietly.

"The truth is," he continued awkwardly, "I've known Anna a long time and… we were once together two years ago. I thought… that perhaps she was the only one who could understand me."

"I understand," Jun said, a little begrudgingly, for she still felt betrayed by him. He saw her look, sighed, and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"You're too good to be mixed up in this, Jun. Once you get involved in this world there's no way to get out. All of us who work here – me, Anna, Wang, Kazuya himself – we've all dedicated ourselves to this life, we know the risks. This is dangerous, Jun. The Mishima have ties with every underworld business you can think of. It's one thing to investigate it. It's another thing all together to be part of it."

"That may be so," Jun replied slowly, "but I'm not the type to fear your kind, Lee. I've seen too many of you to fear you."

"But the Mishima are different."

"So? Are you telling me I should run away from this?"  
"No." Lee shook his head. "I'm just telling you that I don't deserve you. I've lived my life here, without morals or values. Jun, I've killed. I don't live under the same code as you, and neither does Kazuya."

"There's good in everyone," Jun informed him softly. He smiled.

"I'm not _all_ bad. Perhaps if things had been different for me in the past I would've been a _good_ person. But…" he paused, thought, then began again. "…The conflicts inside me have taught me to switch off from both my responsibilities and emotions. I'm a waster, too idle to feel the world as it really is, too rich to care. And I suspect Anna feels the same way I do."

Jun stared at him, wordless.

"I know you're angry with me," Lee continued, his voice low. "But perhaps if I say I don't care, it will make this easier for you."

He watched her watch him, watched her face full of anguished thought. After a moment she turned again and pulled open the door. Before she left she stopped and looked over at him.

"I'll try to believe you don't care, Lee."

He looked on silently as she turned and shut the door softly behind her.

-oOo-

* * *

_Next: Lei reveals his secret past, and Kazuya and Lee have words over Jun!_


	13. Confessions

**:: XII :: Confessions**

Lei stared incredulously at the sheaf of papers Jun had presented to him.

"How the _hell_ did you get all this?!" he exclaimed, his voice plainly showing his amazement.

"You're not going to believe this," she began, slumping down onto her sofa, "but they gave it to me."

"They _gave_ it to you?" he echoed, his voice rising an octave. "How? Why?"

Jun told him all that had happened a few nights before. "And there's something else I have to tell you. They also told me that they were holding Michelle Chang's mother."

Lei looked up at her sharply.

"Yes," Jun nodded in confirmation. "And they're still holding her."

"What about the God of Fighting?"

"The thing I saw _wasn't_ the God of Fighting. I don't know _what_ it was, Lei. That's why they're still holding Mrs. Chang. Because they don't have a _clue_ as to how they should release this God of Fighting."

"But you know what this means, Jun," Lei stated gravely. "It implies that there really _is_ a God of Fighting. Or at least that the Mishima believes there's one."

"Wang sounded sure there was one. So if there _is_ one, we're going to have to stop them."

"I'll have to talk to Michelle about this. This is getting far too crazy for my rational brain to take in." He turned back to the papers in his hand. "There's one thing here that interests me." He pulled out a document. "This shows details of the various narcotics that have been developed by the Mishima laboratories this year alone. Look at what we have here – cocaine, heroin, ecstasy…" Lei's face darkened. "This is enough to lock Bruce away for a lifetime."

"Sorry, Lei, but this piece of paper doesn't positively tie Bruce Irvin to _anything_."

"Don't worry," Lei assured her grimly. "I'll make sure it does."

Jun quietly observed the dark look on her partner's face.

"Lei, are you going to tell me why you're so bent on bringing down Bruce Irvin?"

"I'd rather not discuss it right now, Jun," he replied dryly.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to tell me, Lei," Jun insisted. "Ever since we've been here, you've been doing nothing to investigate Bruce except badmouth him. It's as though you're aiming for revenge, not justice."

"And I have good reason," Lei muttered, turning away. "I've been waiting too long for a bit of payback."

"What reason?"

Lei turned again, his eyes suddenly glazed as he looked at the floor. After a while he spoke, his voice subdued.

"It was five years ago, and I was sent to investigate some American who was dealing drugs with the Hong Kong Triads back home."

"Bruce Irvin, right?"

"Right." Lei nodded pensively. "I was only a rookie-cop back then. It was my first big assignment. I was just going into it blindly, I was young, impressionable and full of confidence in my own strength. I'd just been assigned a new partner – a girl called Wu Meiling. She was the best in the Narcotics Department. She was hot stuff – broke every case she worked on, but at the same time every inch a lady.

"Well, it was pretty cut and dry really. I liked her and she liked me, so we kind of got together over time. It was the perfect partnership, in both senses. We were a great team. I thought we were going to convict Bruce without little trouble at all. Little did I know."

He sighed, sat up straighter and shook his head slowly as if the memories displeased him. Jun spoke up gently.

"Carry on."

"Well," Lei continued slowly, "it was the day of the stake-out, and she and I were at the head of the operation. We thought it was going to be a pretty straightforward set of arrests. But it seemed our friend Bruce had friends in high places, because he was ready for us. I _still_ thought I could handle the situation. Foolishly, I tired to take on Bruce myself. Ling came along too – she knew I was too headstrong to think straight.

"She tried to intervene, to calm everything down when things were becoming too heated between me and Bruce. I guess Bruce saw how I felt about her because he took her hostage." Lei paused and dropped his head into his hands again. "God, Jun, I knew I should've sent for back-up, but out of my rashness and blind fury, I thought I could play the damned hero and save her myself."

He stopped, shut his mouth, his face contorted in shame and regret.

"And you blew it, right?" Jun added softly.

"It was a clean shot, straight through the head," he told her quietly. "I used to console myself with the fact that she wouldn't've felt anything before she went, but…" He lifted his head, and his eyes were distant. "…I sometimes think about what she was shouting to me before she went… Get away, Lei, don't come near! But I was crazy, out of control… anger does that to you."

"You should tell Michelle all this," Jun told him unexpectedly.

"Why?" he looked puzzled.

"Because then she'll understand why it is you always give her a hard time."

Lei glanced at her. "What are you saying?"

"Well," Jun began airily, "I finally understand why it is that you're such a male chauvinist. I guess after your partner died you were angry with yourself for letting her get killed, and you thought it might happen again someday. So when you found out your new partner was a woman – me – you decided to piss me off so much I'd never like you."

"Luckily," Lei started with a grin, "I couldn't even think of having a relationship with you in a million years, Jun. Eco-warriors just aren't my type."

Jun brushed aside the insult.

"But you _do_ like Michelle," she said in a wheedling voice. "So maybe if you talk things over with her, she'll understand how you feel. You can't pretend you have misogynistic feelings towards women forever just because you got hurt once."

Lei scowled at her.

"Why do you have to be so perceptive?"

"Call it female intuition," she replied slyly. He scowled at her again.

"Go on, tell me I'm right," Jun coaxed him. "I want to hear it from your own mouth."

"I'll be damned if I do," Lei replied, but there was a playful smile on his face. "If I did, you wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

"You know what?" Jun quipped with a theatrical frown on her face. "We're sounding like a married couple already."  
Lei passed her a horrified look.

"That was totally uncalled for," he said pointedly. Then his face began to darken again. "But I tell you, Jun, if bit's the last thing I do, I swear I'm gonna get to Bruce. I owe that much to Ling, and to myself as well. The memory of what I did haunts me every day. Sometimes I think I'm going to go crazy with it. I have to flood my mind with other things just to keep me sane."

"I can understand that," Jun spoke up quietly. She moved to the window and stared out, her arms folded at her chest. "You've got to concentrate on something totally different to keep your mind off things."

Lei blinked at her.

"Is something wrong? You sound upset about something."

"It's nothing," Jun turned from the window and passed a watery smile. "I'm just wondering where all this is going to lead."

"What's certain is there's no going back now."

"No," Jun agreed. There was no going back now. Lee had been right. Once you got deep enough into the Mishima's world, there was no way to get out of it again.

-oOo-

* * *

Lee burst into Kazuya's office that evening, for the first time in years the anger overt on his face. Kazuya stared up at him with mild surprise at his unwarranted entrance.

"What is the meaning of this, Lee? Surely you know not to disturb me at this late hour."

"There is something important we have to discuss, dear brother," Lee returned, venom in his voice. "And this time I will not be so agreeable!"

Kazuya's face clouded.

"Have you forgotten your place, Lee?" he questioned, his eyes narrowed. "You swore your allegiance to me when I took over the conglomerate, your loyalty alone is known to be above question! It is natural that I expect you to behave as such."

"Right now, I don't particularly give a damn," he retorted hotly. "Right now I'm not talking to you as a business associate. I'm talking to you as my brother."

"We aren't brothers," Kazuya replied calmly. "There is no way in this world that we could be called brothers. We can never understand each other. What you have to say does not interest me." He turned back to his papers, as though having already forgotten the matter. Lee spoke up without even considering leaving.

"Not even when what I have to say concerns Jun Kazama?"

Kazuya stopped slowly and looked up again.

"What about her?"

"You told me to watch her, so I watched her closely. I want to know what you said to her yesterday."

"What I told her is none of your business," Kazuya replied with dangerous softness.

"It is my business," Lee mouthed back, losing his temper completely and knowing it. "I want to know."

There was a deathly silence on Kazuya's face as he took in his foster-brother for a moment or two. Then he rose slowly, from his seat.

"Did you touch her?" he spoke with the same cold calmness in his voice. "I told you not to touch her."

"Why not?" Lee demanded fiercely.

"Because _I_ want her," Kazuya continued unflinchingly. "No; I _need_ her. For too long now Lee, I have had to share things with you. Now, it shall be different."

"Why did you force her to stay away from me?"

"I didn't," Kazuya retorted softly. "She came to me of her own free will."

"Then how come she still cares about me?"

Kazuya began to laugh.

"Why is it that you are so concerned about her yourself, Lee? Do you care about her too?"

Lee said nothing. He did not like to admit it – it was almost as though it was a weakness to him. Kazuya saw his thoughts and laughed again.

"At last we have met on common-ground, Lee. How ironic. That the one thing we share in common should be Miss Jun Kazama. Yet I somehow think that this time I shall win this round Lee, not you."

"She knows about the Devil," Lee stated quietly. "You told her, didn't you. You shouldn't have let her know. It's too dangerous for her."

"I never told her," Kazuya replied, equally softly. "_They_ chose her. She was meant to know, she was meant to play this game."

Lee gritted his teeth, suddenly realizing the power of Kazuya's claim. If it was true then Jun was in great danger – greater danger than he had previously thought. He had to help her, but he had no idea how. Even he only knew little about Kazuya's secret advisor, and its relationship to Kazuya. If Jun knew what she knew, then what Kazuya said must be the truth.

"She's not meant for you, Lee," Kazuya began again, seeing the realization on Lee's face. "Leave her alone. And I won't be needing you to keep an eye on her anymore. My bodyguards shall do that instead." He sat down at his desk again, a small smile playing on his face. "By the way, Lee, our father made his grand entrance yesterday. So you will be facing him in the tournament after all. Make sure you defeat him please. I don't want to have to soil my hands with his blood."

Lee watched on as Kazuya picked up his pen casually and began to write again. He stood for a moment, desperate to find some comeback to Kazuya's cold words. But he couldn't. He could only think of Jun. Somewhere at the back of his mind he now found it easier to accept that he was in-love with her. But that was only because, deep down, he also knew that he would never stand a chance with her again. With this realization fresh inside him, Lee knew what he had to do. On his honor he must turn and walk away; and so he did.

-oOo-

* * *

_Next: Heihachi tells Jun the true nature of the Devil, and Nina and Anna slug it out! Heh heh..._


	14. Day of Reckoning

**A/N:** **MEXaRIcAN Devil666:** Fair point about the comment that Jun is rather OOC in this story. The reason for this is that I found a stronger female character more interesting to write. Secondly, I was basing her character more on the anime and the manga, which had her less of a sweet-natured character and more proactive. Hope that explains my motivations. :) **Dr. Breifs Cat:** Thanks so much for the detailed review. I'm thrilled you're loving the story so far. I've been a fan of Tekken since Tekken 2, but my interest has gradually waned since the newer characters were introduced. They just didn't seem to be a part of the Tekken mythos, know what I mean? Anyhow, it's taken me a while to post this up, I wrote it in about 1999. :p Glad you're liking Akio - I know it's always a risk to include original characters in fanfic worlds everyone loves so well, so I'm pleased he's paid off. Also the pairing of Lei and Michelle came from the Tekken 2 manga, where there was kind of a romantic interest between them. Kinda unexpected certainly, but interesting, and I just had to play with it. :) Thanks again for the great review, and I hope you enjoy the Akio developments this chapter;) LOL.

A big thanks to all those who are reading this story, who are reviewing, and to those who have emailed me sending their support. Your encouragement is greatly appreciated - I hope you enjoy this latest installment!

-Ludi x

-oOo-**

* * *

**

**: XIII : Day of Reckoning**

Time passed; but all Jun could think of was the way Kazuya looked at her when they met. That haunted mixture of fear, hatred and need would bore into her, and each time it did he would feel her own eyes water and her soul begin to crumble. He seemed to strike the deepest of feelings within her, and she knew that somehow the tournament would not end until things had been resolved between them. More and more she began to leave Lei to his own devices, and he to hers. They had both come to accept that the tournament was no longer the site of an investigation, but of something much more personal. In effect, their partnership was no longer needed.

Jun had been mentally preparing for her bout with Wang one day when she spotted an unfamiliar person sitting in the courtyard, apparently meditating as she was. As she approached the person she recognized him almost immediately as Heihachi Mishima. She'd seen his picture on the TV and in newspapers often enough, before he'd gone missing and was presumed dead. Considering her latest ties to the Mishima family, she somehow felt she must speak to him.

"Excuse me," she spoke. "Do you mind if I sit here, Mr. Mishima?"

The man opened his eyes and Jun saw that behind the violent mistrust in them, there was a twisted wisdom that had gone awry.

"Of course," he spoke after a while. Jun sat down. As she looked at the man's profile she suddenly realized how handsome he must've been in his youth, of how much he resembled Kazuya.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Heihachi said at last, gruffly.

"I was just thinking how alike you and your son seem to be."

To her surprise, the man's face clouded over.

"Never remind me that I am the father of my son. It is a truth that rankles daily in my soul."

Jun said nothing, surprised at the severity of his tone. Heihachi saw her look of shock and smiled mirthlessly.

"He and I live as if we were not of the same blood," he answered grimly. "There is only hate between us." He paused. "You seem to know me, young lady, but I do not know you. What is your name?"

"Jun Kazama."

"Ah, '_jun_'." Heihachi smiled. "'Certainty'. Indeed a very fitting name for such a perceptive woman."

"What makes you say that?" Jun questioned.

"Heh." He gave a throaty laugh. "My wife – Kazumi… she was much the same as you. Women like you are the most beautiful and the most deadly."

Jun acknowledged his statement with an artful blush. She'd often been called so by her colleagues, friends and enemies alike.

"Why are you in the tournament all of a sudden?" she asked him. "I thought you were meant to be dead."

"I am here to dispose of my son," Heihachi returned calmly. "Because I fear Kazuya has grown out of control."

"He has," Jun sighed. "I don't know what to do to help him and yet I feel that I must."

Heihachi glared at her sharply. "What do you know about Kazuya?"

"Too much," Jun admitted softly. "There are two beings fighting over his soul. Kazuya has become lost, and he must be found again."

To Jun's surprise Heihachi laughed at her.

"They are not two beings but one, Miss Kazama. Don't you see – it is both sides of the same coin – the good and the evil. Both are Kazuya, but he has been corrupted by the dominant, evil side." Heihachi chuckled again, low, sinister. "He was a weak son, and so I had to make him stronger. I had to make him see that it is the evil that would make him stronger. But my plan backfired, and Kazuya turned against me in the first Tekken tournament. Now he is a threat to me and I will rid myself of him forever."

Jun turned on him with horror on her face.

"So _you_ planted the evil in Kazuya! How!"

Heihachi looked at her, ignoring her question.

"Did he ask you to help him redeem himself, Jun Kazama?" he asked her slyly. "Did he ask you to bring the Angel out? I can't let that happen, Jun. It is the anger and hate in Kazuya that makes him blind. It is they that shall be his downfall."

"How could you do that to your own son?" Jun questioned, still shocked.

"He left me for dead," Heihachi replied simply. "And so I shall do the same to him. I shall defeat Lee in the tournament tomorrow and then I shall kill Kazuya. Lee, my strong son, shall be my true heir. He will not turn against me. He will allow me the chance to kill Kazuya as he has so often yearned for himself. This time there will be no mistakes."

Jun stood up, her head spinning. For the first time she knew Kazuya's truths, of how she must truly save him from himself and his twisted father. She knew now what she had to do.

Heihachi, seeing the look on her face, stared at her through narrowed eyes.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kazama, but if it is your goal to keep Kazuya alive then we must be enemies. And let me warn you – I do not treat my foes lightly."

Jun had been sick when she had got back to her room. It had not even occurred to her that Kazuya's own father would have inflicted him with such torture. The problem was, Kazuya didn't even seem to realize the risk to his own life. Kazuya seemed to have lost any sense of himself and of the grave trouble he was in. Only Jun could see clearly enough to help him. Only she could be his eyes.

She knew now what she had to do. She must defeat Wang and then defeat Kazuya in the tournament. She must defeat the Devil in him. She could not let Heihachi reach him.

-oOo-

* * *

Nina swayed lightly outside the window. On the other side of the pane, Anna slid into a suitably slinky dress and slipped on her high heels. Nina's eyes narrowed as she trained the barrel of her gun at her sister's head. Anna, oblivious, opened a compact mirror and retouched her lipstick. This was going to be easier than Nina could've imagined. 

Nina was worried.

Time and again she had failed in her mission to destroy Kazuya. Not only was it highly unprofessional of her, but she knew she was beginning to grate on Heihachi's nerves, which did not bode well for her continued survival. He'd even gone to the lengths of entering the tournament and doing the job himself. Still, Nina was determined to get herself back in Heihachi's good-books and earn herself that promotion back at MI6. Her last chance was to defeat Kazuya in the Tekken Tournament. But to get to him, she'd have to eliminate Anna first. But Nina would not do it in the ring. Things between her and Anna were personal. Destroying Anna was something she was going to do in private.

"As father always used to say," she murmured to herself as her finger stroked the trigger, "it's best to kill two birds with one stone. And you just happen to be one of those birds, Anna. Such a pity."

Just as she was about to pull the trigger, Anna started and quickly went to the door as if to allow in a guest. Nina lowered the gun as Anna opened the door, and her guest stepped in. Nina's heart clenched and the gun almost fell out her hand. For one short moment she thought she was dreaming and that it wasn't true. But then she saw them exchange a passionate kiss and she knew that it was real.

Anna's guest was Akio.

Nina's heart burned as she watched the two in their ardent embrace, the gun trembling in her hand. It was another betrayal – yet again her hated sister had cheated her, and this time it was too much. This time _Akio_ had cheated her too, and for the first time Nina realized how much he had meant to her. _I thought it meant something_, she said to herself, _I really thought it meant something…_

Without another thought, Nina found herself kicking her foot into the window and smashing it open in one enraged swoop. She heard Anna scream above the crashing of the glass as she landed inside the room, the gun now firm inside her grasp.

"_Anna!_" she screamed, "This time you've gone too far!"

Both Anna and Akio had broken apart, and as Nina rose elegantly to her feet Anna let out a hiss of hatred, recognizing the aggressor as none other than her sister. Akio's usually calm expression was now one of shock.

"So at last you show yourself, _dear_ sister!" she greeted maliciously. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Don't give me that," Nina scoffed. "You know _exactly_ why I'm here. It's payback time, Anna. You were always father's favorite, you always stole everything from me! You've ruined just about everything in my life and I'm here to make sure you don't forget it." She turned her gaze coldly onto Akio who stood nearby. "And as for _you_, Akio, I should've known better! I should've known ever since the moment you had inside help that it could be none other than that _whore_! I was a fool to believe that every night we spent together meant something!"

"No, Nina," he cut in quietly, eyeing the gun in her hand, "I was going to tell you, I swear it. Just not now. I didn't want to hurt you."

"You think I'm going to believe you now!" she yelled. Akio did not dare to say more. Anna interrupted the silence, chuckling coldly under her breath.

"Well isn't this sweet, Akio. I had no idea that you were thinking about my _dear_ sister when you were in bed with me. The fact is, you were playing both of us along."

"Anna's right, for once," Nina cut in acidly. "You were stringing us both along! Akio, how could you! I thought…"

"What you thought I felt for you was true, Nina," he rejoined softly. "What I did was for you, to keep you safe. Heihachi gave me all the information I needed to infiltrate the building – it was easy. I knew assassinating Kazuya was going to be dangerous. I didn't want you being hurt."

"Touching, I'm sure, but unnecessary," she retorted bluntly. "I could've handled Kazuya by myself. I've dealt with the Mishima before!"

Akio opened his mouth to reply, but a sound from Anna caused them to turn to her quickly. She was holding a walkie-talkie in her hands.

"Security, this is Anna Williams! Come to my room immediately! I have apprehended and contained the perpetrators of Kazuya's assassination attempt! I repeat, they are contained and wounded!"

"What!" Nina spat as Anna put away the walkie-talkie calmly.

"Sorry, Nina," Anna apologized smugly, "but this is the only way to get rid of you once and for all. And you Akio," she turned to him, "it was nice while it lasted, but I'm afraid my regular, Lee, has suddenly become available again."

Before they could react, Anna had swiftly drawn a pistol from the slit at her thigh, aimed quickly and fired, hitting Nina in the chest before she could pull her own trigger. A look of stunned shock etched onto her face, Nina fell onto her back with a thud. Akio quickly rushed to her, but Anna stopped him, pointing the gun at him with an obscene smile.

"Stay right there. It's your turn, Mr. Yumiko."

"Not yet," he seethed between his teeth, and quick as lightning produced a PPK from his jacket. With impeccable aim, he fired at her, hitting her in the chest as well. Anna sprawled back against the bed, surprise locked onto her haughty features.

"How…?"

Akio ignored her and knelt down beside Nina, cradling her head.

"Nina, get up, we've got to get out of here!"

Nina's eyes flickered.

"I can't move, Akio. Just get out while you can. I'll save myself later."

"I can't leave you," he whispered, his voice taut.

"You're going to have to," she insisted breathlessly, "I'll meet up with you at the hotel. Now get out…!"

Akio watched on helplessly as Nina's eyes began to close.

"Nina…" he shook her, "…don't you dare die on me now…!"

He held onto her fiercely, wishing she would respond to his touch, but nothing stirred in her face. He was about to lift her up himself when he heard the sound of footsteps outside. Standing up, he looked down at her for a last time.

"Come back, Nina," he whispered softly. Then, turning, he made for the window and disappeared.

Anna hardly noticed the flurry of activity as the door was kicked open and in came Kazuya's security. The pain in her chest was a deep ache now, and her eyes blurred as she tried to keep them open. She saw the men pick up Nina, and then walk towards her.

"You're too late," she tried to say, her voice dry and raspy in her throat. "He's escaped…through the window…"

A man came forwards and knelt down, his face almost touching hers. She couldn't understand why there was such clinical coldness in his eyes.

"Ms. Williams," he spoke as coldly as the look on his face, "you're coming with us."

"Where are you taking me?" she asked in confusion, but before she could find out anymore, she slipped quietly into unconsciousness.

-oOo-

* * *

It was the day of Lee's fight with Heihachi, and while Lee had been preparing for it, his mind had been on his interview with Kazuya the day before. Lee knew that he was only a secondary player in Heihachi and Kazuya's game. Despite Lee's own strength, Heihachi was a seasoned and experienced fighter. For many years Heihachi himself had trained Lee. In order to win the battle, Lee knew he would have to struggle hard. Kazuya had known this. He had pitted Lee against Heihachi deliberately. If Lee won the match then Heihachi would be rid of forever. On the other hand, if Lee lost, then Kazuya would be rid of his hated foster-brother. And then the real battle would begin – the battle between Kazuya and Heihachi. 

Lee had realized that Kazuya stood to lose little from either outcome, but that Kazuya was counting on Lee himself losing. That way, Kazuya could wreak personal vengeance on his father. Heihachi and Kazuya would love nothing better than to spill each other's blood.

In that case, Lee had resolved, he would win the battle with Heihachi. He would retain his prestigious position in the Mishima Conglomerate and ruin Kazuya's hopes for revenge. It would be as simple as that.

Lee had just determined that this was the best course of action when he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind him. It was Jun.

"Lee!" she greeted breathlessly, having run to catch him. "I have something important to tell you!"

Lee looked at her with mixed feelings. On the one hand he was surprised that she was talking to him at all. On the other he'd been trying to block her from his mind recently and worry about other details, namely Kazuya and Heihachi. Now that he was faced with her again, he realized that what he felt for her had not simply died at all.

"What is it?" he asked at last.

"Lee, you must defeat Heihachi," she began, out of breath. "You mustn't let him fight Kazuya!"

"Why not?"

"Because _I_ must defeat Kazuya," she told him earnestly. "No one else must do it, it has to be me!"

"Don't worry," Lee replied presently. "I'll do everything I can to stop Heihachi."

Relief flooded her face.

"Of course, I know you will Lee. Thank you."

"But why are you so desperate to fight Kazuya? I thought… I thought you cared for him."

"It's a little hard to explain at the moment," she said. "But this is the _only_ way to help him, Lee. If Heihachi fights him, I don't know what will happen." She paused for breath. "Lee, today is my bout with Wang. If I don't win, I'm counting on _you_ to defeat Heihachi for me."

"All right," he agreed, "But…" He stopped her before she could leave. "When this is all finished, you've got to tell me what all this is about."

Jun smiled, nodded, then left. Lee watched her receding figure a moment, thoughtful. Whatever Jun's motivation, he knew it had something to do with the Devil. Turning, he saw that Wang had come up behind him.

"Miss. Kazama knows of our supernatural associate," Wang stated lightly. "And Kazuya knows it."

"Yes," Lee said. "Kazuya knows."

"Do you think he'll let her leave here alive?"

"No, Wang _da ren_," Lee spoke softly. "I think that wherever Kazuya goes now, whatever happens to him… Jun will always be there, close behind." He half smiled at his old friend and mentor. "Be prepared, _Lao Wang_. I don't think you'll defeat her today."

There was a small, inscrutable smile on Wang's face. "To be surpassed by one's student is the greatest achievement a teacher could possess," he stated. "If Jun is the one to teach the Mishima kindness and humility once more, then so be it."

Without another word, Wang turned and left to prepare himself for the bout with his former pupil.

-oOo-

* * *

Heihachi Mishima stood proud and majestic in the arena, and it seemed to Lee that he looked exactly as he'd always done – his father, his arrogant, cold, strong father. 

"Please do not be angry with me, my son," he was telling Lee, his voice echoing sonorously in the ring. "If I defeat you today, it will be for your own good. Once I have destroyed Kazuya, I shall once again rule the Mishima Empire with you as my heir. You shall be my only, eldest son, my right hand man, once more."

Lee said nothing. He recalled how Heihachi had taken him in, a young, frightened boy, from the compounds of China. He knew this would be his last betrayal. He told himself: The Mishima blood does not flow in my veins; I do not _love _my fatherI _never_ have.

Only then could he bring himself to move forwards and throw the first punch.

* * *

I _will_ save Kazuya, Jun had thought as she had stood before her opponent, her guide, the old man named Wang. It doesn't matter how. I _will_ save him. 

And once again that strange force of goodness had coursed through her, the same that she had felt bloom within her soul that day on the forbidden uppermost floor. Just as Kazuya had no longer been himself that time, so now Jun was no longer herself. For the first time in her life she knew that she would win this fight, whatever was put in her way to stop her.

"You have grown in power, Jun Kazama," Wang told her triumphantly. "I can see that your strength has finally surpassed mine. You _will_ use it to save Kazuya. As your mentor, I am proud of you."

Jun smiled serenely. She felt happiness overwhelm her, a happiness that was not her own but that stole her heart. She suddenly felt full of love for Kazuya Mishima.

-oOo-

* * *

_Next: Jun and Lee betray Kazuya and leave themselves exposed to the wrath of the Devil..._


	15. Final Betrayal

**A/N:** Whoo, and let the hate mail commence! Having read back on this, I'm aware there'll probably be not a few of you are going to hate me for having written this. All I can say is - tough! I wrote this 6 years ago, I think it works,and I'm not about to change it now. Having said this though, I appreciate the opinion of others, and if you feel the need to constructively criticise I'd be interested to know your POV... Needless to say, flames put through my letterbox will be deleted...;-p

Thanks for reading!

-oOo-**

* * *

**

**: XIV : Final Betrayal**

Jun raced down the corridor, her feet clapping loudly against the smooth tiled floor. Her breath sounded noisily in her throat as she moved, her face wore a troubled look. For all she knew she could have been wandering the building aimlessly. Her mind was not on her feet, nor on her surroundings. All she could think about was her match with Wang. In all honesty she could not remember the fight at all. All she could remember was awakening as though from a dream and suddenly finding that she had defeated her old mentor. There had been fear inside her then. She had wanted to win the battle, but on her own terms – with her own skill and her own mind, not this thing that was steadily growing inside of her, this other side of the evil that possessed Kazuya.

She stopped outside a familiar-looking door and leaning against it for a moment, attempting to catch her breath. It was as her heart leveled out and the panic drained from her that she realized why she had come tot his place. The door she was leaning against was Lee's, and it was him she'd come to see.

Standing up a little straighter, she knocked on the door. Lee opened the door, returning some sense of normality to Jun's frantic frame of mind. She gazed up at him thankfully, the furrow in her brow disappearing.

"Lee…thank God!"

"What's the matter?" he asked as he let her in. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I just…" Jun shook her head, a harassed look on her face. "I'm just feeling a little out of it, that's all. I feel like I'm going crazy."

"Crazy?"

She ignored him, pacing the room with agitated steps. "Did you defeat Heihachi?" she asked him instead.

There was a pained look on his face. "Yes, I did. I don't think we'll be seeing him again for some time."

Jun checked her triumph. "I'm sorry. I know it must've been hard for you to betray your father."

"It was." Lee replied off-handly. "But I had no choice. I had to save my own skin." He looked at her warily. "Is Wang all right?"

"Yes." Jun nodded. "I didn't hurt him too much. Besides, he's as tough as old boots. He'll get over it."

"I suppose he will." Lee sighed. Jun caught his melancholy look.

"Perhaps I should leave," she said a little uncertainly.

"No," Lee stopped her. "Jun, I want to know what's going on. Why didn't you want Heihachi to fight Kazuya?"

"Because the hate Kazuya has for his father would have grown into something uncontrollable," she explained, knowing it sounded wildly absurd. "Don't you see, Lee, that's what the Devil feeds off. Kazuya's hate. Already the Devil has almost stolen Kazuya's soul. It won't be long before there is no Kazuya left. But I can save him. _Only_ me. That's why Kazuya needed me. To help him to bring out the good in him."

Lee remained silent, looking at her speculatively.

"I know this sounds crazy," she cut in, her voice a little more subdued. "Even I don't know why or how this is happening, I just know that it _is_."

"It doesn't sound crazy," he replied at last, moving to the nearby cabinet and pouring himself a drink. "I knew of Kazuya's 'secret advisor'. I just never did anything about it. I guess whatever corrupted Kazuya corrupted me too."

"I don't think so," Jun returned, quieter now. "I think it's just the way you are."

"Yes – just the way I am," he repeated reflectively. He lifted the glass to his lips, and then, after a moment or two, looked up at her again. "I'm sorry, Jun. Not about anything in particular, just that you had to get involved in all this."

"I'm becoming used to it," she admitted sardonically.

"That was my mistake. Look at me now." He grimaced. "I used to hate it here. It was when I developed my defense mechanisms that things began to become tolerable. Do you know what they were?"

"Wine, women, murder and money?" she recited, eyebrows raised. He laughed.

"How did you know?"

She shrugged. "And you still think Anna's the only person that understands you?"

At her words the smile left Lee's face and he placed his glass down slowly.

"What I said to you the other day," he replied presently, "was just another defense mechanism."

"It takes more than just words to pretend you don't care," she answered softly.

"Does honesty in love always mean so much to you, Jun?" he asked back, just as softly.

"Doesn't it to you?"

"Come now," he rejoined his tone cajoling. "Didn't you do it, not even once? Sleep with a man, just for the sake of your job?"

"Nearly." Her expression was inscrutable.

"When?"

"Several times. In this room." She secretly relished the look on his face, the look that told her she'd scored a checkmate. "But somehow, I never considered it was worth it."

"Why not?" he asked at last, softly.

"It wouldn't have got me very far."

"But if you thought it would have… would you have done it?"

Her expression changed as he moved closer. "No. Not for my job. I would never have done it for that."

"Then for what?" he asked her, his hand brushing her arm, his face close to hers.

"For what you said was there," she answered, her voice low, her cheeks hot. "But I never did, because… I didn't trust you."

He whispered something in her ear then, in his own language, something she knew he would never have said to her in her own. Then his lips were on her hair-line, soft. "Do you trust me now?" he asked, once again in Japanese. She could not think if she answered him back with words, but her arms moved slowly upwards and wrapped round his shoulders, holding him close.

-oOo-

* * *

Kazuya sat brooding at his desk, hate and anger etched upon his face. His plans had not been going according to plan. Heihachi had been defeated, and there was no longer any reason to rid himself of Lee, who'd since become a considerable thorn in the side. He'd wanted to deal with Heihachi himself. Now Fate had dealt him a card he'd not been expecting. Only Jun Kazama had defeated her designated opponent – none of the others had got through. In that case, Kazuya was to be her last and final opponent.

Kazuya did not want to fight her. He wanted to fight Heihachi. He hated him enough to do it. Jun he did not hate. She was meant to help him, not oppose him. Help him do what? Kazuya could not remember anymore. He was losing, slowly but surely, he could feel himself steadily slipping away. He was beginning to forget, and that was dangerous. If he forgot, then he would no longer be himself.

The shadows in the corner of the room had begun to grow, and as Kazuya looked up he saw a familiar shape begin to form.

"Why are you here?" Kazuya asked, the rage flooding into his voice. "I told you not to come!"

_I have no choice now,_ came the soft, sly reply. _My plans have changed._

Kazuya buried his head between his hands. "What do you want me to do?"

_It doesn't matter. Whether you lose or win the battle with Jun Kazama, the outcome will be favorable to me._

"But I thought… if I lose…" Kazuya trailed off, his voice suddenly weak, small.

_You have forgotten your promise,_ the voice spoke, chuckling maliciously. _But that is just as well. You need not remember. For now, you must rest. Sleep, Kazuya._

The shadows emerged from the corner, and Kazuya felt them play across the line of his forehead, cool and soothing. He would rest. For now, he would sleep, while the shadows went out to play.

-oOo-

* * *

It had begun to rain again, this time more violently – a signal that at last autumn was there to stay. Jun listened to the smatter of raindrops on the windowpane and remembered her old house back in Kamakura. She had often laid there in bed at night, listening to the rain play against the folding windows, watched the shadows of the banyan trees dance against them like butterflies. The sound had sent her to sleep, had sung to her in a way no other lullaby could. She remembered her father, sitting next to her when she was frightened, telling her – let the rain sing you to sleep.

She had only been eleven years old when he had gone.

"What are you thinking about?" Lee's voice asked from beside her. Jun shifted onto her side to face him.

"I was remembering a night like this, eleven years ago," she replied quietly. "A rainy, autumn night. It was the last time I saw my father alive."

There was no guilt, no surprise on Lee's face as he spoke.

"What happened to him?"

"He was called out on a job. He was an undercover agent, like me. He was killed in a stake-out. He never came back." Lee stared at her, silent. In a way, there was nothing to be said. It was as though he already knew what she was going to say. "I never knew my mother," she continued. "She died when I was small. My father was my whole world. I promised I'd never let his memory die. So I tried to be like him." She paused, a small, sardonic smile on her face. "It all seems so stupid now. All the time I did my job, I thought I was carrying out a sort of vengeance for his death. I began to forget that all I should have done was just love him. All that anger inside of me… it was for nothing."

Lee gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his eyes never once leaving hers.

"Are you thinking about Kazuya?"

"In a way," she admitted. "His anger is so like mine was."

"Everyone's anger is the same," he replied thoughtfully. "Mine was…is. I'm not sure how I feel about it now."

"What made you so angry?" she questioned.

"I don't know. Lots of things." He ran a finger pensively down the line of her throat, as if thinking what he should say. "I suppose it was because I hated it here so much."

"I thought things were worse for you in China."

"Yes – but they weren't always." He sighed, and for the first time there was real sorrow on his face. "There was a time when I had love, when I was very small. My mother…she meant everything to me too. She taught me how to fight. We were poor, she was a single parent. I had to learn how to survive.

"Then my mother committed a crime against the Party and so they incarcerated her for life. I stayed in various orphanages for several years, until Wang came along looking for an heir for Heihachi Mishima. We were all herded up, like cows in a cattle-market. Once I'd bared my fists they knew I was the one." There was a half-smile on his face. "They brought me here, yet all I wanted was my mother. Heihachi was a doting if emotionally cold father, and Kazuya evidently hated me. I just wanted to escape. But then I became spoilt… I got everything I wanted. And I just couldn't beat them… It was easier just to join them after that," he finished with a shrug.

"I understand you now," Jun tried to comfort him.

"Is that all you ever wanted from me?" he asked.

"Is this all _you_ ever wanted from _me_?" she countered pointedly. He stopped, assessing her words.

"No," he answered at last. "I would have said yes before. But not now."

"Has tonight changed everything for you? Was this more than just sex?"

"Do you really believe I'm that shallow?" he asked in mock offence.

She shook her head. "You pretend to be. But somehow you've forgotten to keep it up for the past hour or so."

"You're too distracting," he accused her jokingly.

"Good," she returned sarcastically, "then maybe I can keep you here till morning."

He smiled charmingly, pulled her to him and kissed her.

"Have I changed your mind about sleeping with men you don't trust," he murmured when he'd let her go.

"No," she replied humorously, "Only with men who whisper sweet-nothings in my ear." She stopped suddenly. From the corner of the room she could hear something, faint, sinister. No, it wasn't a sound – she could _feel_ it.

"What's wrong?" Lee asked, seeing the intent look on her face.

"It's here," she murmured, shivering. "Can you feel it? From the corner?"

Lee looked up into the shadows, but could see nothing. After a moment he turned back to her. "Yes – it's here. I can feel it. It never shows its face to me."

"You don't know what it looks like?" Jun whispered, quivering at the memory of that old, evil face.

"No." There was a pause. "It's okay – it's gone."

"It was looking for me," Jun stated, raising her voice a little. "I can sense it. I shouldn't have been here."

Lee saw the troubled look on her face. "Tomorrow, Kazuya will know we've betrayed him."

They both said nothing to that. In their minds, they both knew that Kazuya knowing would bring them into terrible danger. His wrath, his jealousy would be enough to kill either. And Lee knew it would have to be him.

"I'm confused," Jun told him, her voice small. He held her close.

"So am I," he replied.

* * *

She awoke the next morning to a shaft of hazy sunlight emanating from the window, alone in bed. Her clothes and a towel had been folded neatly on a chair nearby, and the door to the bathroom had been left invitingly open. Jun took a shower before venturing into the adjacent room. Lee was in there, pouring cups of coffee. He looked up as she entered.

"Morning," he greeted her.

"Good morning." She sat down, feeling peculiar and awkward. No doubt from his silent actions, he was feeling the same. There was a thick air of anticipation in the room – whatever had happened last night had been a rogue event, and though they had acted on impulse and with true affection in their hearts, they both knew deep down that it had been a mistake. Neither wanted to admit it, nor did they need to. They were no occasion for idle talk, nothing more to be said on the matter. Whatever may possibly have been between them had ended before it had even began.

It was as they were clearing the cups that Lee finally spoke.

"What are you going to do? About Kazuya I mean?"

Jun was surprised at the quiet seriousness of his tone.

"What I always intended to do, I guess," she faltered.

"You still want to help him?" he continued, not looking at her.

"I must," she answered quietly. He nodded, his mouth tight shut. She gazed at his profile a moment, knowing what he was thinking.

"Lee, last night…" she began, but he cut her off.

"Jun," he began firmly, "after last night, I wondered if you would stay or whether you would continue to stand beside Kazuya. I thought that maybe the decision would be hard for you." He half laughed, both at the situation and at himself. He knew who she'd already chosen. Jun said nothing, feeling a pang of guilt. "I won't ask you to make that decision," he continued decidedly. "I don't want to make you feel as if you owe me something."

"I didn't know you cared so much," she spoke softly.

"Neither did I," he returned candidly, "not until last night." He stopped and turned to her. "Jun, don't let me stand in the way. You've got to help Kazuya, no matter what. He needs you, Jun." He took in a breath. "And so do you."

"And what about you?"

"Me? I'll just be me again."

"No." She shook her head. "You won't."

He smiled faintly at her.

"Perhaps."

He leaned forwards to kiss her, one last time before she left forever. But she had already anticipated him and her face twisted away, so that his breath fell on her ear. He stopped, grinned regretfully before stepping away from her.

"I'll be here, if you need me," he told her. She nodded half-heartedly in return. She knew she would not come back to him. She had made her choice. It was Kazuya she must turn to now, and she would not leave him.

-oOo-

* * *

For the first time in his life Lee entered the uppermost floor, and this time he knew it wold be his last. He halted once there, looked, waited. It was too dark to see anything, and yet he _knew_… he knew Kazuya was there.

"Kazuya!" he called into the blackness. "Kazuya, show yourself!"

He stood still and waited, eyes straining. Presently he heard footsteps, and then the figure of Kazuya emerged from the shadows and into the dim light, his face twisted in evil contempt.

"So, the cowardly dog has finally shown its face," he mocked, his laugh echoing about the room. "I've been waiting for you, Lee."

"So this is where you spend all your time. Up here in the dark, by yourself." He turned his back to his foster-brother. "How long has it been like this, Kazuya? Years, perhaps? Since you were a child?"

"What does it matter?" he sneered. "All I know is that _she_ was meant to take me away from this, and that you stole her."

"I didn't know how deep this was, Kazuya," Lee replied softly, firmly.

"And what's that supposed to mean? That if you'd known you wouldn't have attempted to take her away from me?" He snorted. "The truth is you'd never have been able to keep your dirty hands off her, Lee!"

"I care about Jun," he replied through gritted teeth.

"Really? If that's true, then come, defend your affections for her with your fists! We shall see who is the more deserving!"

There was no more to be said. Lee swung round, fists bared. He knew he would not defeat Kazuya. Only Jun could do that. What he did now was not for Kazuya, nor for himself.

It was for her.

-oOo-

* * *

_Next: The final battle between Jun and Kazuya, and Lei finally faces Bruce..._


	16. Two Sides of the Same Coin

**A/N:** Would like to give a big thanks to all those who reviewed and lent their support so far - it was great to see your views with such a big gamble as the last chapter! I hope you enjoy the developments in this one... There's only a few more chaps left guys, but they promise to be pretty explosive ones! Stay tuned, read, review and enjoy!

_-Ludi_

-oOo-

**

* * *

**

**: XV : Two Sides of the Same Coin**

Kazuya was not seen for several days, until at last the last day of the tournament had begun. From her place just outside the arena Jun noted many absent faces. Nina she had not seen for a week or so, nor Anna. The now relatively reassuring presence of Lee was no longer there, and there were rumors abounding that Kazuya put him into intensive care, for reasons unknown yet that Jun knew perfectly well herself. And ironically, it was Kazuya who she must face now. He was there in the ring now, facing her, dark, brooding. There was a hush from the stalls as she too stepped into the ring, her mind full of fear and fate, her body oddly quivering in anticipation. The dark eyes of her opponent, so cold and haunting, rested upon her face, looked on her as though without recognition. She knew then that he was not Kazuya. He was the Devil.

"At last the moment I have been waiting for," his mouth spoke, twisted into an insidious smile, nevertheless his voice not his own. "Finally this game draws to its conclusion." He changed to an offensive stance, beckoning her with a flick of the hand. "Come, let us see how it ends."

She too set her stance, and as the fight was about to begin she felt that strange flowing liquidity seep into her, as if from body to soul. For a moment she stood, immobile, the rhythm of bliss pounding in her heart. Then she could feel it, the love she held for the man before her, slowly amplifying within her to almost unbearable heights, tingling from her hands to her bunched up fingers. Her mind, the Angel's, bent out towards him like a flower to the sun. She could feel her soul buckling under the terrible force of it.

"I _will_ free you," she murmured through the crescendo, "…Kazuya."

And then, the fight began.

Jun fought, her arms and legs throwing out the moves before she could even think of executing them. It was the thing inside her that was orchestrating the power in her limbs, not truly _her_.

They exchanged blows for what seemed like an age, oblivious to one another's pain as well as their own. In fact, it seemed as if they were so perfectly matched that no leeway was gained by either of them; still they battled on, fiercely, without quarter, until at last they fell back exhausted, their limbs nevertheless still aching to fight on. Jun caught her breath raggedly, yet despite her weariness her voice broke through serene, calm.

"It doesn't have to end like this, Kazuya," she said. He stared at her, his eyes hard, flashing like rubies in the dimming light, the eyes of the creature that had stolen him away so long ago.

"_Save your breath, woman_," it seethed from his mouth."_What has begun has begun and there is nothing you can do to stop it. You betrayed him, left me the chance to seep in once more. You cannot help him now._"

"I can," she answered softly. "His heart his open to me, it always will be. The Angel has allowed me to reach him. Kazuya, I beg of you, let me in!"

For a moment the fire in his eyes died as if he had let her words sink in, and then, with a cry that resounded with violent hatred he rushed forwards, his arm set to strike her. Jun stood ready, something within her telling her to stay. Her mind was half reeling with fear at the threat of his fists, but as he neared her suddenly halted and his arm flashed forward, his fingers clamping round her neck, dragging her from her feet. Still, by some unearthly design, she remained calm.

"Stop!" he cried in his own voice. "Don't look at me like that! Don't you understand it will make me kill you, I won't be able to stop myself!"

Her hands moved to clasp over his own, warm, comforting.

"I can't stop, don't you see? I can't, Kazuya. They chose me. They chose me _for_ you." She counted slowly to herself, one, two, three… Her hands grasped his tighter. "I _won't_ stop," she breathed.

The pain swam across his face, a pain that was clouded almost immediately by hate and terror.

"Stop!" His arm raised higher, leaving the ground even further from her feet, as though to keep her at arm's length from him, like that night on the uppermost floor. Jun felt the tense power of the muscles in his hands as he grasped her throat, her own tendons working furiously in her neck to resist his vice-like grip.

"Kazuya, let me help you," she insisted desperately, the words almost squeezed out of her. "You've got to stop this. You've got to fight it."

"No!" Once again his face was becoming contorted into something frightening and ugly. "You betrayed me, you were my only hope, yet you betrayed me! Now I have nothing! It is the Devil that fills my soul!"

"No Kazuya, I won't desert you now," she forced the words out, tears filling her eyes, her vision finally fading into stars and blackness. "I won't leave you, Kazuya. I need you too. I never knew until now. We need each other."

He looked up, and for a second their eyes met, mirroring each other's faces in the darkness of their pupils. The tears fell from her eyes to his cheeks, and somewhere in the confusion of his heart he knew those tears were for him. _No one had cried for him since his mother's death, not even himself_.

As the realization struck him he felt a shudder, a jolt pass through him, the cold being of hate slide out of his body like water. With a primitive cry of pain, release and self-loathing he let Jun go where she crumpled onto the floor, almost unconscious. Falling to his knees, he clasped his head between trembling hands, seeing now the truth. Jun had not betrayed him – he had betrayed himself from the first.

"Kazuya." It was her voice, hopeful, yet strangled, as even in her pain she sought to reach him. "Kazuya…"

He could not look at her. He simply could not. The space inside of him was cold, filling him with dread, horror, regret. He stood slowly, wobbling, his feet scuffing in the grit. All of a sudden he understood himself, and it horrified him to know that he had lost himself in this deep and enveloping chasm for so long. He had to do something, _anything_, to stop it. He gazed round at the watching audience as if seeing them for the first time, those eyes that watched on the spectacle in silent and disbelieving amazement. On an impulse he opened his mouth, threw out his eloquent yet haunted voice into the stalls and beyond.

"This tournament is over, all of you! This is finished!" he cried wildly, hoarsely. "I hereby renounce my title as King of the Iron Fist!" He paused, seeing the stunned incomprehension on the faces of the spectators. The swirling vehemence still within him, he rasped again: "Don't you get it! You are free, all of you! Don't you hear me! I'm setting you free!"

He finished, turned and walked out of the ring, calmly, as sedately as his exhausted muscles would let him, not looking back once at Jun. For a moment, a deathly, incredulous silence filled the arena.

And then the madness set in.

* * *

From his place in the stalls watching the bout, Lei had received the latest happenings with an initial sense of shock. As soon as Kazuya had left the ring, an immediate and frantic rush began for any exit anyone could find. He sat for a moment, his policeman's brain working a break-neck speed. If there was ever a time for him to act, it was now. in the stampede for freedom, sense could be made from the chaos. 

"Did you hear that!" Michelle, who'd been sitting next to him, was shaking his arm urgently. "Kazuya Mishima's resigned as Head of the Mishima Conglomerate! We're free to save my mother!"

"This is bad. Real bad," Lei murmured half to himself.

"Why?" Michelle questioned in surprise.

"It's simple – too simple," Lei replied in alarm. "With Kazuya gone, Heihachi and his henchmen will be free to take over! This is going to be the site of a major coup-d'etat! It won't be safe to stay here! We have to get out as soon as possible!"

"But my mother…!" Michelle began, fear creeping into her face.

"Yes, I know. We have to act quickly." He stood up. "Right now everyone's in confusion. We can take advantage of the situation and act before Heihachi does." He took a look round the stalls only to see that Heihachi's face had already disappeared, along with several of Kazuya's former cronies. "And that means we'll have to act fast," he added quietly.

"But how do we know where to find her?"

Lei considered it a moment, and suddenly remembered the wealth of information Wang had given Jun not long before.

"We've got to go to Jun's room."

They both ran through the adverse tide of bodies towards the main bulding, past the people who were running away from the confines of Kazuya's psychological prison. At last they reached Jun's room, and after receiving to answer to their knockings, Lei was forced to break down the door. Looking about frantically, he noticed the familiar sheaf of papers laid out neatly on Jun's bedside table. Grabbing them all, he left the room briskly, all the while leafing through the sheets in his hands. After several moments, he looked up grimly and stuffed the papers into his pocket.

"Let's go," he said, "I know exactly where she is.

Mrs. Chang had been at first amazed then relieved to see her daughter enter the prison that was her dingy room, and though her arms ached to hold her daughter once more, there was little time to embrace her in the light of recent happenings.

"We have to go!" Michelle warned her urgently after they'd first thrown their arms about one another. "The whole place has gone insane! We must hurry!"

"Wait." Mrs. Chang stopped her daughter quickly. She moved to a nearby desk, opened the drawer, and removed a large, bejeweled pendant from it. "It's important we don't forget this."

"The pendant!" Lei interrupted. "The God of Fighting is real?"

Mrs. Chang looked up at him sharply.

"How did _you_ know? Are you one of them?"

"Mom," Michelle interjected, "Lei's a friend, we can trust him. We have no time to talk. Let's go!"

They were about to leave when someone entered the room – a huge someone, someone big enough to block their way. It was the towering form of Bruce Irvin, whose arrogant face gazed down upon the three in turn, pausing in contempt only when he reached Lei.

"Well, well, Lei Wulong. It's been a long time, my friend." He grinned, his teeth white against his dark skin.

"It's been _too_ long," Lei seethed. "And I owe you payback."

"Yes," Bruce agreed with a smirk. "_This_ little showdown has been long overdue."

Michelle put an arm out to Lei's, her expression urgent as she pleaded with him.

"Lei, we've got to go. Forget about Bruce. I…I need you with me, Lei. Come with me. Come with _us_."

"No." Lei shook his head, his eyes never leaving Bruce's face. "You two go on ahead. I'll catch you up later. This is my fight."

"No, it's not, it's just petty revenge and it won't solve anything."

"Michelle." He turned to her calmly, gazing down into her timorous brown eyes. "What I'm doing now is for you. Please understand. I won't rest until I see this through."

"I don't understand." She stared at him in confusion, her hands clutching his arm. "How is this for _me_?"

"I care about you," he confessed with an effort. At the words her eyes unexpectedly softened, then hardened once more.

"If you cared about me, you'd come with me," she replied stubbornly.

"No, I wouldn't. Michelle, I'll explain all this to you later. Right now you've got to go." He saw the hesitation on her face. "Please," he added softly. She gazed at him, pain and hope on her face, then made for the door with her mother, her pleading eyes not leaving his until she finally disappeared round the door. Once they were gone, Lei turned back to the other, his mouth a straight, hard line.

"Well," Bruce began, a sneer on his face, "isn't this touching. And I thought you were going to remain faithful to the memory of poor Miss Wu Meiling."

"I will _always_ remain faithful to her memory," Lei returned quietly. "But it's time I released her to the place she belongs – the past." He paused, and Bruce's leer was once of disdain. "And this," Lei continued, "this isn't revenge anymore. This is about me putting you where you belong – behind bars!"

So saying he lunged forwards with a sharp battle cry, bearing down on the Thai-boxer with one balled fist. But Bruce met the blow with tremendous force, parrying the attack with a series of punches that connected rapidly, splintering against Lei's left cheek. The Chinaman was left to sprawl back against the adjacent wall, blood trickling deliberately from the corner of his swollen mouth.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Bruce grinned savagely, and his leg flashed forwards to strike again. Lei however ducked the lightning quick reflexes, and Bruce's leg crashed into the wall, spraying cement and rubble across the room. Lei caught his opponent's foot between his own and twisted hard, bringing the larger man down. Bruce's heavy weight thudded to the floor and Lei followed him, his fists twitching to connect. But Bruce, seeing the pattern of Lei's attack, grasped a hold of Lei and threw him over his head. Both leapt to their feet and wheeled round to face one another, their stances mirrored. And then, for the first time Lei noticed the sliver of gunmetal flash in Bruce's hand – a pistol. For a second he reeled with the shock, and Bruce chuckled wikedly, relishing the bemusement on his enemy's face.

"So long, Lei."

"You wouldn't!" Lei gasped for breath.

"I would," Bruce seethed. "And the good thing is, every time you feel the pain of it, you'll remember me."

The single shot rang out, resonating in Lei's ears, and he could feel nothing but the echo of it, isolated in time, cruel, poignant. Then he fell, the pain suddenly ringing in his left leg. With a look of disbelief and surprise he stared down at the bloody limb, the thick, warm, crimson liquid oozing slowly from the shattered bone of his knee. The moment frozen in his mind, Lei stared up at Bruce, his eyes wide with incredulity.

"And so the hunt continues," Bruce stated darkly, letting his hand fall.

"You won't get away with this," Lei spoke, his voice thick with pain.

"Yes, I will. Because wherever you are, I'll be one step ahead."

And so saying, he turned and left without once looking back, while Lei's vision swam and faded into nothingness.

* * *

Jun had lain in the middle of the ring, half-conscious, as the push for the exits had commenced. Slowly, the strange being flowed out of her, and she was left spluttering for breath on the ground. She shivered as she remembered the cold hate in Kazuya's dark eyes as he had looked up at her, looking still so vulnerable in the middle of his wrath. Kazuya. Jun pushed herself off the ground, staring about her in sudden anxiety. Where was he? He had left the ring. She had to find him. She couldn't let him slip away. 

She had run into the building, her heart and feet pounding, her mind secretly shouting for Kazuya in a way she could not explain. He was not in his office, nor in his conference room. And then she thought – the uppermost floor! She raced to the nearest elevator, still having the presence of mind to remember the gadget Nina had given her before. She paced the small floor of the lift in frustration, until at last the elevator stopped and with the toll of the bell, the doors slid slowly open.

Into the darkened room Jun stepped and the first thing she realized was that Kazuya was not there. But, she knew, there was something else. She stopped, heard it, turned. In the mirror before her, stood the familiar shade of the woman in white, her face unsmiling yet welcoming and tender.

"He's gone," said the mysterious woman, and though Jun saw the mouth of the woman open, it was as though the voice was strangely divorced from the body.

"Kazuya's gone?" she repeated. "Where?"

"Away from here," the woman answered. "It is better this way."

"But it's still not over!" Jun protested desperately, "I have to protect Kazuya! The Devil can still reach him! I can't let that happen!"

The woman shook her head slowly, a small smile on her face as though amused as Jun's naivete.

"Jun," she finally spoke, "you must be careful. You are my vessel, but I cannot make your decisions for you. Even if you save Kazuya, there is now still danger."

"How? I don't understand!"

"When dark meets light, when good meets evil… the natural course of things can be destroyed forever…" She paused, her strange riddle trailing off into silence before she began again. "He's gone to his summer residence in Kamakura. If you must meet him, then that is where you shall find him… Goodbye, Jun. Take care of yourself. Take care of Kazuya. But most of all…be careful."

And then, the woman faded into darkness.

-oOo-

* * *

In the midst of the anarchy, Heihachi had stepped forwards and gathered to his side those who had remained faithful to the Mishima's cause. With silent stealth he had slowly re-taken control of the Mishima empire and restored order to the building. Anyone still loyal to Kazuya was eliminated. The second Tekken Tournament had come to an abrupt and violent end. 

"Perhaps Kazuya is not so weak as I had thought," Heihachi mused to himself as he paced his new office. "He is fighting the Devil inside him. Yet he has run away. What could that mean?"

Much to the old man's dissatisfaction Kazuya had disappeared, and so too, unfortunately, had the Kazama girl. While they were both still missing from under Heihachi's watchful eye they were a potential threat, and Heihachi could not analyze the reason behind his son's seemingly irrational behavior, and the possibility that he and the Kazama girl could join forces against him had played upon his mind considerably. At all costs he must find them and destory them.

"I want a search put out," Heihachi ordered his council – all gathered at the table apart from Lee and Anna. "I want Kazuya and the Kazama found and brought to me! They must not be allowed to escape!"

Meanwhile he paced the floors, his mind burning with hate for his son. The Devil he had planted so cruelly into his own flesh and blood was becoming a danger to his own personal safety. The Devil had turned against him. The Devil must be destroyed.

-oOo-

* * *

_Next: Jun and Kazuya finally face one another outside the tournament..._


	17. Forbidden Love

**A/N:** Oo-er. I don't know whether this lives up to anyone's expectations, but here it is, meh-heh. We're getting there, slowly but surely... **Dr. Briefs Cat** - As usual, some thoughtful insights into the fic for which I'm most grateful. :) I think I'll reply to your review point-by-point, if you don't mind. 1) I'll admit - Lee and Jun sleeping together was probably gratuitous frowns. What can I say - back then I was a rabid Lee fan (go fig, huh?). It's not to my liking and I would've changed it or expanded Jun's reasons somehow, but for the fact that I've kinda moved on from this fic now... / As for Lee's continuing role in the story - he will be appearing again, and I hope he lives up to your expectations. 2) The Jun/Kazuya fight. Yes. I think that year was the year I watched the Tekken anime. Shows, doesn't it? Another unsatisfactory section on my part, I'll admit. Looks like my imagination took a hike that day. 3) And yet anotherquery with the Michelle and her mother thing.Heh. I think, by that time, I was getting a little impatient to get to the end and rushed the thing. I had not, by this time, learnt discipline in writing. Assuming I've managed to by now. ;p 4) Both Nina and Anna are now in Dr. Bosconovitch's hands, being put in cryo-suspension. Their roles were going to be reprised in the sequel, of which I only wrote about 2 chapters... :( 5) There are another 4 or 5 chapters outside the Tournament, so watch this space! Once again, thanks for the reviews, they help me know what I need to work on, even though this is an old story. :)

Again, thanks for all the reviews EVERYONE has contributed, they're much appreciated, and please, keep 'em coming:)

-oOo-**

* * *

**

**: XVI : Forbidden Love**

There had been no record of Kazuya ever having a summer residence in Kamakura, and so it took Jun a long while to locate his whereabouts. Two weeks of questioning the local residents had led her to a large, apparently deserted old-style Japanese house in the middle of an untamed, uninhabited forest. The house stood, large and lonely, in a small-sized glade, and though old and derelict for many years, it was a beautiful piece of architecture, in its hey-day being a magnificent work of art.

Jun walked up to the house, at first hesitant as she reached the raised platform, and stepped up to face the ancient wooden sliding doors. It was quiet, chillingly so. The sporadic rustle of the trees in the wind was the only source of noise about her. Jun stood, reluctant to speak for fear of her voice shattering the silent antiquity of the old house. After a moment gathering her courage, she opened her mouth.

"Hello? Kazuya?"

There was no answer and, seeing as the doors were slightly open, she pushed them slowly aside and walked through.

There was little lighting in the house – what light there was was provided by the sun itself, which was dull as dusk was drawing on. Something in the atmosphere stopped Jun from speaking, and as she wandered through the seemingly desolated house all she could hear was the sound of her footsteps treading along creaky floorboards. The rooms were sparsely furnished, and the walls, painted with traditional Japanese murals, looked fierce in the growing darkness. Another sliding door, this time closed, separated Jun from the smallest room in the building. With a sense of foreboding she pulled the door aside and walked into the room.

The bedroom, this place was: at the far end she caught the shadow of Kazuya behind a folding screen, the silhouette thrown out by the tawny flickering light of a nearby candle. She stopped, unsure of herself or whether this shadow was really Kazuya at all.

"So," came the familiar voice from behind the screen, "you came back."

Jun took in a short sigh of relief, and some of the fear slid away from her. Turning round, she pulled the door to again and dropped her bags to the floor.

"I told you I wouldn't leave you," she breathed.

There was a silence during which Kazuya appeared to be reflecting upon her statement. Then he stood up, his face and upper torso unfolding from behind the screen. He turned and stared at her wordlessly. After another silence he moved away from the screen and stopped in front of the candle, casting irregular and menacing shadows across the length of the room.

"How did you find me?" he finally asked.

"She told me," Jun replied slowly. "The Angel."

There was a sad look on Kazuya's face, one that surprised Jun because she'd never seen such an expression on him before. Then he sighed and sat down at the foot of a nearby mattress that had been laid out simply on the floor.

"Come here," he bade her in a quiet voice, thoughtful but gentle, not willful as it had always been before. Feeling perplexed but reassured, she walked over to him and sat down before him, silently assessing his countenance. He did not look at her but down at his feet for a long while, as if thinking what he should say. After what seemed like an eternity he looked up at her, into her eyes.

"What do you see," he began softly, "when you look at me now?"

Jun gazed at him, for the first time able see his true features. The dark eyes, tired yet soft, the mouth, strong and straight where once it had been contorted into something akin to ugliness. He was handsome, mysterious, enigmatic. The cruelty that had been so characteristic of his features before had seemingly disappeared. Jun reached out to touch his cheek as though to clarify that what she saw was real. _This_ was him, the man that she felt something for.

"I see _you_," she murmured at last, dropping her hand, suddenly embarrassed that she had touched him so intimately. He smiled faintly at her in the dim light of the room.

"And how do I seem to you? Weak?"

"No." She shook her head. "Just tired. But not week."

He said nothing, as if to let her words sink in.

"My father always said I was weak," he spoke, forcing the words out with an effort. "So much that soon I felt it to true. But since I've come here I've been thinking that I was never really weak. I was just never what my father wanted me to be."

"Why are you telling me all this?" she asked, still not used to this more forthcoming Kazuya.

"You said you wanted to help me," he told her, the edge entering into his voice again.

"I do. But I don't need to know all this to help you," she replied, not knowing how or why that made sense, but it did. She felt as if she knew him – she had always felt that way.

"Then what _do_ you need?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, puzzled in spite of herself.

There was a dead quiet again, during which the howl of the wind whistled in through the floorboards and about their knees. The darkness of the night had drawn in, and the trembling flame of the candle was now the only source of light in the room. Kazuya raised his head, his eyes searching the four walls, almost seeming to study the effect the dark and the wind had on the confines of his house. When he had finished this, his eyes returned to her face.

"I didn't think you'd come back," he told her, a speculative look in her eyes. "I didn't think you'd follow me."

"What did you think I'd do?" she replied, surprised at his confession.

"I thought you'd try to help Lee."

"Lee doesn't need my help."

"Not even after what I did to him?"

"No. Lee knew you would do what you did. He doesn't matter anymore."

"But you…and him…" He trailed off before beginning again. "It's strange, to speak to you like this. Now I feel so different."

"The Devil…Is it gone?" she queried, shivering little at the memory of it.

"Yes," he nodded. "For now. But I am afraid that it could return at any time. It still holds a part of me. It is that I can't forget." He took in a long breath, closed his eyes to calm the thoughts, then rose to his feet. "Now I must prepare for the time when it will come again to reclaim my soul. That is why I came here. To prepare."

He moved to the nearby window, pulled the shutters together.

"You must go now, Jun. You've helped me enough. I don't want you to get mixed up in this anymore."

Jun rose, placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No, I won't leave you." She smiled now at the simplicity of it all. "Don't you see, now I know how it is I can help you." He looked back at her, his gaze inquiring. "Let me stay with you tonight, Kazuya," she continued. "I want you to tell me. I want you to tell me how this all began."

He turned, his brow furrowed, his gaze penetrating.

"Why?"

"Because this is the way it has to be," she answered instinctively; then more softly: "Let me stay with you, Kazuya."

He stared at her wordlessly, in wonder. Then he touched her face gently with his fingers, his caress tender.

"Aren't you afraid?" he whispered.

"Of what? Of you? Of my feelings?" She shook her head. "No. It doesn't matter how or why this has happened. All that matters is that is."

He smiled. He could not recall the last time he'd felt like this.

"You're right," he murmured. "This, now – it's all that matters." He moved forwards, his lips touching hers, and for a moment they were both shocked at the unfamiliar taste of each other, as though they had crossed an unseen and dangerous line.

"Jun…" he began, his voice quizzical, offering her the choice was walking that treacherous path or not. She smiled up at him with reassurance, amazed that he should ask that question, even with his eyes. She tugged him towards her gently with both hands, and answered him with her kiss.

-oOo-

* * *

It was later, cooler and darker. The old house, its timeworn quality was desolate, personal; it held you in its own security, its safety, its privacy. The house had kept its past secrets and would keep theirs. The world outside was irrelevant. It would never know.

She felt love now, deep inside her. For the man beside her, for the man she had pledged to save. She had changed. Now, in the draughty little room lit by the waning candle, she felt and secure, young and yet old, wise and yet foolish. She felt balanced. She felt as if her life was now complete.

"So," she began softly, trying not to break the quiet, "tell me how it happened. How it all began."

"I can't remember when it began," he confessed, looking up at the ceiling. "Maybe it began the moment I was born."

"I don't believe it," she murmured in reply.

"It feels as if it began that long ago," he answered despondently. "For as long as I can remember it's been like this."

"How can that be so?" she queried.

"My father never cared about me. It was only the conglomerate he cared about. My mother was the only one who cared. She died when I was ten." He stopped, his expression one of bitterness.

"And because you missed her, your father got it into his head that you were weak," Jun finished for him on a breath.

"More than that, I began to believe it myself," he replied.

"Heihachi twisted feelings that were only natural," Jun told him. "And that was the beginning, the start of it all?"

"Yes," he nodded regretfully. "And instead of showing me how to conquer my 'weaknesses', he replaced me with a strong son." His voice was suddenly hard. "Lee."

"And then the jealousy began," she stated half to herself.

"We competed for everything," Kazuya carried on. "And of course, Lee always got his way. Father lavished what affection he had on Lee. And all the while I became weaker."

I gust of wind interrupted his words, and he stopped, listening to the violent wailing, a dreamy expression on his face. Then he continued, his hand gently stroking her hair.

"It would have come to an end then, when Heihachi threw me from the cliff. He told me that the weak did not belong in the Mishima family, that the weak must die. I wish I had. It would have stopped all this from happening."

Jun said nothing. The horror of what Heihachi had done to his son did not surprise her. His lust for power knew no bounds, slowly turning him insane. He had even been willing to sacrifice his son for it.

"But I lived," Kazuya said with a sigh. "And I climbed that cliff, back to the top. In a way, I was proving my strength by doing so, that I was not weak. But I was dying, I knew that. I was losing blood. I still have the scar." He showed it to her, the long, thin wound on his chest. "And as I lay there dying, _it_ came to me. It offered me life, strength, power. All I wanted then was revenge. How could I refuse?" There was a pause and Jun ran her finger slowly over the meandering length of the scar. He watched her movement closely, then spoke again. "It was easy really. I was so full of hate for Heihachi that I was blinded to everything else. The Devil fed off that hate. In the first Tekken tournament I thought I had killed Heihachi and gained power over the Mishima conglomerate. I thought I had all that had been promised to me. But the Devil needed more from me. He needed my soul. And I couldn't break free. Until you came."

"Me?"

"There was always a part of me that knew that what I was doing was wrong," he replied, rolling over to face her. "But it was a part of me that could find no expression until I saw you. Until they _chose_ you."

"I still don't understand what they chose me for," she said, frowning.

"Neither do I," he admitted. "Why do they need you to help me? Surely it was my own choice whether to bring out the Devil or the Angel in me? Why chose someone who could break me free from both?"

"Is this the real Kazuya then?" she spoke in wonder.

"Is it?" His voice was self-deprecating. "I'm not sure what the real me is anymore. But yes – I feel more human than the way I was before, at the very least."

She reached out for him, drew her arms about him and held him close.

"It was all Heihachi's fault," she whispered. "He's insane. He has to be stopped." She tilted her chin to look at him. "I love you, Kazuya. I don't know how or why, I just do. I hardly know you, and yet I feel I've always known you. I don't understand it but it's there. I need you as much as you need me."

"Then," he returned thoughtfully, "I don't care about Heihachi anymore. He can have all the power and strength he wants. He won't need to worry about me any longer."

"Truthfully?"

"I can try to let go of the hate." He noted the troubled look on her face, and with a tenderness that surprised even him he kissed the downturn of her lips. "Jun," he breathed lightly, "thank you. For staying. It means more than I can say. Promise me you will not leave."

Her smile was wan, pale in the moonlight.

"I promise," she murmured. "I promised it a long time ago."

Nothing more was said, nothing more needed to be said; but as the candle finally burnt itself out, they came to one each other again, and loved one another like that.

-oOo-

* * *

_Next: The Devil finally makes its real intentions known to Jun..._


	18. The Face of Evil

**: XVII : The Face of Evil**

Jun stayed in the old house with Kazuya, and what had at first meant to be days turned into weeks. The change inside the man she had promised all this and more to had been marked, drastic. They talked, at first a lot, but then little. She became used to his presence in her life; he became as natural to her as her own shadow. And yet, at the back of her mind, she remembered the Angel's words. _There is still danger._ Where would the danger come from? Heihachi? Perhaps. He could certainly kill them both.

And then, not a month had passed when Jun discovered another shadow of life entering the little world she and Kazuya had created. For a time she could not quite believe it, but it was true.

She was pregnant.

The Mishima would live on.

-oOo-

* * *

Lee, at first delirious in his hospital bed, had little idea of the machinations of the world about him. Instead he dreamt of Heihachi, of Kazuya and Wang and Anna and Jun. He could not make sense of what he saw, nor did he want to. He was blissfully unaware of all troubles, of all responsibility. That he was alive was enough. 

Then weeks passed and he sat up and heard of things. Of how Kazuya had resigned as head of the Mishima Conglomerate, of how Heihachi had taken his place, of how Kazuya and Jun had disappeared as though off the face of the earth. Jun. Lee had ruminated over her and what she had said. She had said she would help Kazuya. Then Lee knew she must be with him. And Heihachi must know that too.

Heihachi had visited Lee to reinstate him as his heir as it were.

"I'm going to find Kazuya and the Kazama girl," he'd told his adopted son. "I will destroy them both."

"Forgive me, father," Lee had spoken apologetically. "But what has that girl Jun got to do with the Mishima's affairs?"

"She is dangerous," Heihachi had replied, his eyes glinting. "She is helping Kazuya. She could yet pose a threat to me. I must be rid of her once and for all."

Lee had chewed on that bit of information too. _So Heihachi knew, at least in part, that Jun was more than she seemed._ Lee did not care so much about Kazuya, but Jun he did not want to see hurt. Still, she had known the risks, she had made her choice. There was nothing he could have done about it.

He'd resigned himself to forget these things when something happened to make him change his mind. He'd been sitting in bed, lazily eyeing up the nurse when a familiar person entered his room. Lee stared up at his latest visitor in surprise.

"Kazuya!"

Kazuya stepped into the room and walked to his brother's bedside. After all the hate and acrimony that had existed between them throughout the years, Lee was amazed to see an unusual look of greeting on the other's face.

"Hello, Lee," Kazuya said quietly, amicably.

"Kazuya. Why are you here?" Lee could not keep the suspicion from his voice. This new Kazuya was something he was not used to. He couldn't imagine his adopted brother greeting him so cordially without some ulterior motive.

"To see you," Kazuya replied simply, looking about as if to make sure he hadn't been seen. "Perhaps to say that I no longer harbour any bad feelings against you, Lee. I just wanted to let you know that. I don't think we'll be seeing each other anymore."

Lee remained speechless for a split second, shocked at Kazuya's words. He'd lived so long hating Kazuya that he found it difficult to see himself anything _but_ hate for him. But he swallowed this feeling quickly and spoke with an effort:

"I don't understand. Why are you telling me this? Why have you suddenly forgiven me?"

"There's no reason for me to hate you now," came the simple reply. "I've changed."

"You mean the Devil?" Lee questioned incredulously. "It's gone?"

"For now," Kazuya answered wryly.

Lee considered it a moment, and, feeling his brother was genuine, motioned for him to sit down. Kazuya obliged, pulling forward a chair and sitting down next to the bed.

"You shouldn't have come here," Lee warned him uncomfortably. "It would be dangerous for you to be seen here. You do know that Heihachi is out for your blood, don't you? He'll kill you on sight."

"I know. But I won't be staying long."

"You said we wouldn't be seeing each other anymore," Lee said inquiringly.

"Precisely because it would be dangerous. You're back in Heihachi's good books now."

"So how do you know you can trust me enough to tell me all this?" Lee spoke archly.

"Oddly enough I have a certain kind of faith in you," Kazuya replied, a mirthless smile on his face. "You were a faithful employee – well, at least to a certain extent. At least you saw the job was done."

Lee conceded a grin before turning to a more serious frame of mind.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not interested in anything Heihachi has to offer me anymore."

Kazuya raised an eyebrow.

"Where's your sense of ambition gone?"

"Down the drain. No doubt I'll get it back again one day." He paused, half amazed at the frankness with which he and Kazuya were talking to one another. He looked up at his adopted brother speculatively, a question forming desperately in his mind.

"And Jun…she followed you, didn't she?" he spilled out quickly.

"Yes." There was a softer look on Kazuya's face as he said the word. "She followed me. I wouldn't be here now if she hadn't."

Lee looked away, swallowed, said: "How is she?"

"She's fine," he said quietly.

"Good." Lee looked up again. "You see, Heihachi's after her too and if she was out there by herself…" He trailed off, began again. "At least I know with you, she'll be safe."

Kazuya was silent at that, and for a moment he looked as if he was considering his next sentence.

"Lee," he finally began, "I think I should tell you this." He paused, looked at his hands. "Jun is pregnant."

Lee looked up sharply.

"You mean…?"

"Yes." Kazuya nodded once. "The Mishima line continues. But I shall break the chain of evil that began with my father. That's why I won't be coming back." He stood as if ready to go. "I must go now, Lee. I've already spent too long here. You can tell Heihachi all you know, if you want. There will come a time when I must face him again." He made for the door, opened it, then turned to speak as an afterthought. "I know you care about Jun," he said gently. "And I don't resent you for that either. You may not be able to protect me from Heihachi, but please… protect her from our father, at whatever cost."

He walked away then without saying goodbye, left Lee to think over his parting words. Lee sat back, his mind reeling. Now he no longer felt idle, apathetic. What Kazuya had said has stared to make him think. So suddenly Kazuya had changed. He had thrown away all that Lee had attributed to him since he'd first known him. Suddenly the Mishima empire seemed pathetic and futile – it could not even stop Kazuya from walking away from it. it seemed so ridiculous that Lee felt he could burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. Kazuya had rejected the lonely ruthlessness of the Mishima Conglomerate, and now he had Jun and a child soon to call his own.

And yet Lee himself was too weak to walk away.

"The ironies of life," Lee muttered sardonically to himself, before settling back to mull over his lot.

-oOo-

* * *

The wind and the rain had ceased. The return of winter had been signalled by the oncoming flurries of soft, silent snow. The wooden house in the Kamakura forest – Kazuya's summer residence – had trembled vulnerably in the autumn winds, and now stiffened and creaked in the growing cold. 

Jun was alone in the house, lying on her mattress in the back room, her hand on her stomach. There was still no visible sign of the child within her – it was too early yet. Although the threat of snow had showed itself in the wispy clouds and lilac sky outside, it was warm in the room. The house was strangely inviting now, cozy. It felt lived in. It was no longer just a house but a home.

Jun was asleep. She had been waiting for Kazuya to return home. He often went out for walks; to think, he said. She had waited, and the heat of the room had sent her to sleep. It was a dreamless slumber, one that left her tossing and turning, her face etched with anxiety. All she could dream of was danger. Of the white woman, and danger. Only danger was certain. She had to be careful. She had to stay alive.

"Jun."

Jun heard the voice, somewhere in the midst of her sleep. She stirred, her eyelids flickering.

"Jun."

The voice came again, by her ear, a familiar voice. Kazuya's. At the sound of his voice she opened her eyes, her sight focusing slowly on his face. For a moment he seemed strange to her, despite his closeness. She placed a hand to her forehead, confused, groggy.

"Kazuya?" she whispered, her voice still thick with sleep. "Is that you?"

"Yes." His voice was strangely flat, vapid. "Don't be afraid, Jun. I'm here."

"Afraid? I'm not afraid," she replied, perplexed at his words.

"You were dreaming," he stated after a short moment. "I saw the fear on your face." He reached out and touched her cheek, but there was no tenderness in his eyes. "You sensed danger."

She stared up at him, startled at the accuracy of his statement. He smiled then, an oddly cold smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Yes… I can feel it."

"Feel what?" she asked, her bewilderment growing.

He smiled again, still cold, and his hand moved down to her stomach.

"The Mishima blood inside of you."

"Our child," she whispered, feeling oddly tired once more, as though her limbs themselves were sleepy.

"Yes. Our child." And still the smile did not leave his face. "The game will continue." He leant forwards and kissed her, and almost immediately the alarm bells went off in the haziness of Jun's mind. With a sudden surge of fear she pulled away from him, feeling exposed, repulsed.

"You're not Kazuya," she breathed, both hands pressed upon his chest, keeping him away. "Who are you?"

The face that looked like Kazuya's but was not glared back at her, all at once full of a violent loathing that chilled Jun to the core.

"You know who I am," it said, "and that I will not leave. I will always come back."

And suddenly she knew. She knew that the evil that had hounded Kazuya all his life had not gone, had never intended to leave him. Yet somehow her heart prevailed, that small corner of her that yet belonged to the Angel.

"No," she murmured softly, firmly, no longer afraid. "Kazuya no longer needs you. He is strong enough to keep you at bay."

"Maybe so," hissed the other, "but the child is mine, and I will come to reclaim it."

Jun was wide awake now.

"What do you mean!"

"Kazuya promised me his first-born." The smile, insidious and wicked, filled the mask once more. "The bloodline continues. The bloodline belongs to me."

Jun sat up and inside her that old strength seemed to grow, and she no longer felt alone, helpless. She felt that she had the power, the power to save the Mishima family from itself. Whatever happened, her child would break the mould dictated by its strange and cursed blood.

"Not as long as I live," she seethed quietly, "will the bloodline ever belong to you. I'll protect my child to the death. You forget, this is why I've been chosen. To protect the Mishima from you."

The eyes narrowed into dark slits, full of hate for the woman they gazed upon. Here was her enemy, the one she must fight to keep away from the Mishima, from her family. It understood her promise. Wordless, it stood and left the house, its presence leaving as mysteriously at it had come. And when she could no longer feel its suffocating liquidity all around her, Jun sank back into the mattress and wept into her pillow.

* * *

Kazuya entered the room, and knew almost instinctively what had happened. He swam through the glacial climate of the room towards the inert body of Jun spread out across the floor. He said nothing but knelt beside her, the pain etched upon his face, until she sat up slowly and faced him, and told him everything. 

He listened, unable to speak, knowing that what he had sought to escape had merely followed him. She stared up at him, her eyes wide and timorous, face ashen.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she pleaded, wiping the tearstains from her cheeks.

"I didn't remember making the promise," he answered in a murmur. "The Devil had me in his thrall. Whatever promise I made I made unwittingly."

Her cry was wordless as she raised her fists to his chest and pounded him viciously, the violent rhythm somehow draining all the anguish from her until she was exhausted and collapsed with resignation into his arms. It was silent after that, and he held her, suddenly aware of his own guilt, his shame, and even more, of how insignificant and powerless he was in the face of what he had allowed to consume him.

"We have to leave this place," he told her, his words somehow sounding irrational, comical in the cold light of this latest happening.

"Why?" she asked bitterly. "What difference would it make?"

"It won't make any difference," he answered, his tone slow, measured. "But here we are too isolated. It's too dangerous to bring up our child here. We must move."

She gazed up at him, nodded slowly. In truth they both knew it didn't matter where they went. Nowhere was safe.

-oOo-

* * *

_Next:A final showdown between Kazuya and Heihachi..._


	19. The Final Sacrifice

**A/N: **Apologies for the huge lateness of the update. 'Real life' got in the way for a while back there, but then I got Tekken 5 and my Tekken fandom kinda got a boost. :D After the disappointment of Tekken 4, 5 is a more than worthy addition to the Tekken saga - if you haven't got it, I strongly urge you too, it's not to be missed by Tekken fans!

Anyway, here's the next update - I don't know whether it's worth it, just keep in mind that at the time Tekken 3 had only just been released and I had no idea Kazuya was even going to make a return. I've tried to rewrite certain bits so that a Kazuya revival would be possible, hopefully that shows through. If I ever get the time or inclination I may carry on with the saga - I've been sufficiently inspired by Tekken 5 to want to - but I have so many other things on my plate right now, it may not happen...

Read, review, enjoy!

-Ludi x

-oOo-**

* * *

**

**(18) The Final Sacrifice**

Winter in Neo-Tokyo had drawn on, and the vibrant lights of the city were punctuated by the arrival of crisp, new snow. The Mishima Building stood starkly in the middle of it all, its window-lit, dominating form dramatically enhanced by the backdrop of an indigo sky. From the window of his top-floor room, Heihachi stared down onto the glaring metropolis, his knuckles white as he clutched at the pane. Three months had passed now, and there had been no sign of either Kazuya or Jun. Even his best scouts had been unable to locate them.

Heihachi gritted his teeth, a low menacing growl emanating from his throat. At first he had kept his scouts searching the Neo-Tokyo area, but now, with months gone and no success, Heihachi had sent them to search throughout Japan. And still there had been no sign of them. They had all but vanished off the face of the earth. Heihachi would not be able to rest until they were found. The fact that Kazuya was still alive caused him many a sleepless night. Heihachi loathed the thought that his son was walking and breathing, somewhere in the world. Yes – perhaps he had left the country. Perhaps Heihachi would have to widen the search to an international level.

With a hiss of disgust Heihachi turned away from the window, and melted back into his dark realm.

-oOo-

* * *

Kazuya had had several apartments situated throughout Neo-Tokyo, and each had been ransacked by Heihachi's scouts soon after Kazuya's disappearance long ago. It was a risk returning to the city, but for the time being Kazuya had been relatively convinced of their safety – albeit temporarily. By now reasonably satisfied that he and Jun had left Neo-Tokyo at the outset, Heihachi would not think to look for them in such an obvious place – at least not for now. In the long-run they could not afford to stay in the capital for too long.

At first, Kazuya had avoided the question of his father. There had been the old hate still firmly lodged inside him, like a scar that would not fully heal. But Kazuya had slowly begun to face the memory of his father, the truth of what he really was – an old man, a mad one; but an old man just the same. And the more objectively he came to view Heihachi, the less he began to hate him. In fact, he even began to feel sorry for him. Though he despised his father and could feel no love for him, Kazuya no longer felt the old violent rage towards him. The irony of the matter was that Heihachi's own madness had made him weak. Weak because he could not see a world beyond hate and greed and power. Kazuya had freed himself of all these things. But his soul was still the Devil's. Kazuya did not care about that much anymore. What he wanted was for his unborn child to be free from both lust for power – and the Devil.

The snow had stopped falling for one night, and Kazuya had been walking through the frozen streets, hands in pockets, his eyes every so often roaming curiously over the crawling cars and the glowing shop windows that flowed beside him. He stopped underneath the Mishima Building, carefully assessing the sight of the place that so signified his years of madness. Imposing though it seemed, it was a dismal, lonely kind of building, one that struck one's heart with respect, but not with warmth. He stayed looking up at it for some time. The more he stared at it, the less personal and subsequently the less menacing it seemed. Something had moved within in that inexplicable moment, and he suddenly felt impelled to do the thing that he had known to be inevitable. Removing his hands from his pockets, he pushed through the glass double doors and walked inside the main reception hall.

The woman at the desk looked up at him, smiled superficially, did not recognise him.

"Good evening, can I help you, sir?"

He faintly returned her smile.

"I want to see Heihachi," he said flatly.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid that's quite impossible at the moment." The woman was apologetic despite her confusion. "Mr. Mishima is very busy right now, and he rarely sees anyone except his business associates these days…I can try to make an appointment for you…"

"You don't understand." Kazuya's voice was quiet but firm. "I want to see my father."

At his words a look of sudden realisation crossed the woman's face, and her hands began to tremble.

"Mr.…Mr. Mishima!" she gasped, picking up the phone and promptly dropping it. She took a few moments to regain herself, saying: "I'll just put you through to head office now…"

"You and I both know that will not be necessary," he replied softly. "I will see my father _now._"

He turned to the elevators, leaving her standing there staring at him, the phone handset still clutched between her fingers. As he looked back over his shoulder he saw her speaking urgently into the receiver, gazing wildly at him as he finally disappeared into the lifts.

He stepped out onto the uppermost floor, the place where he knew he would find his father. Part of this floor had been built by his grandfather in the hey-day of the Mishima and emulated a garden in the traditional Japanese style, a place of peace and reflection, a haven of running water, cherry blossoms and soft-petalled peonies. This was the only place in the Mishima Building that Kazuya had loved. It was quiet and tranquil here, so much so that whenever he had been here he had almost forgotten himself. He understood why Heihachi had loved this place whilst Kazuya had been a child. It was the only thing he and Heihachi had in common.

He walked slowly past the sparse yet well-groomed flower beds, along the winding path towards the outer balcony. The snow lay thick and white here, accentuating the beauty of the gardens. The moon, full and bright as the snow itself, gazed down on him like an all-seeing eye, watching with indifferent curiosity. After a moment Kazuya stopped. Sitting cross-legged on a rock by the miniature pool was Heihachi, facing away from his son. Kazuya stood quite still, his eyes narrowed. He felt inside that somehow this was right, that this was meant to be. He'd never been afraid – he wasn't going to start now.

"So," Heihachi spoke into the cool silence, his voice half mocking, half contemptuous, "you have dared to show yourself." He stood up, the powerful muscles rippling in his back. "You surprise me, Kazuya. I thought you were running away with your tail between your legs." He turned, his mouth twisted into a sinister smile. "How come you evaded us for so long? Where did you go?"

"I've been here all along," Kazuya stated, his face deadpan. "Right under your nose. But I didn't come here to tell you all this. I came here for a more important reason."

"Ah." There was a look of relish on Heihachi's face. "So the time has come for our little showdown."

"Yes. It's time to finish this."

Heihachi grinned insidiously. "Indeed. A pity that you have found your strengths so late, Kazuya. Perhaps if you had realised them a little sooner I would not have to kill you now."

Kazuya said nothing. Something had called him here, to this point, this end. There was no turning back now.

"What's the matter, Kazuya," Heihachi sneered, "are you afraid?"

"No, father," Kazuya shook his head slowly. "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid to fight you anymore."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Heihachi grimaced, moving forwards, fists bared. "Let us fight. But be prepared. This will be a fight to the death."

Kazuya made no reply. There was no time left for talking. He too moved forwards and there were no more thoughts, no more words, only action. They began to fight, almost with a detached apathy, as though this moment was a necessity, not something acted out from the heart or their emotions. They parried back and forth without success on either side, until they stopped to catch their breath. And then there was silence, and the soft tinkle of the water in the stream, and then the ragged sharpness of their breaths as they caught in their throats.

"It's funny," Kazuya spoke, looking up at his father, sweat dripping from his brow. "For all this time my life depended on this building and everything in it. Now when I see it I feel nothing. It holds nothing over me anymore."

"Nothing?" Heihachi's face was contorted in disgust. "This building symbolises the power of your family-line! Your grandfather and I built this with our own hands! It is as much as part of you as it is me! And that is how it still holds you, however much you despise the fact!"

"This place was never meant to be mine," Kazuya retorted, a calmness in his voice. "After your plan with the Devil went wrong and your scheme to make me 'strong' soured….all you wanted was to get rid of me instead. The 'family-line' means nothing to you father. If it gets in the way of your lust for power you'd give it up gladly."

Heihachi listened to Kazuya's words with a growing sense of hatred and fury. The fact that Kazuya knew, that he had sensed these things, dug into Heihachi like talons. The twisted cunning of Heihachi's plans suddenly seemed wasted and worthless when spoken of in the deprecating tone of Kazuya's voice. That his son, his own, weak son should say such heresies to him filled what heart he had with a wrath beyond compare. With a cry that voiced his mad and passionate upsurge of rage, he struck out at his son without warning, silencing, or so he thought, the potency of his words. Kazuya took the blow without fighting back, keeling back onto the floor with a calm insouciance on his face.

"How is it that I can make you understand," Heihachi roared at the bloody figure on the floor before him, "that it is the strong who thrive in this world! What is it that I told you on that cliff top! Say it to me!"

Kazuya looked up at the insane, ranting figure of his father, opened his mouth, his voice weary.

"That the strong eat the weak, that the weak must die."

"Yes, you see, you remember, even now," Heihachi murmured, disdain curling his lips. "And it is the strong that have power. When you looked out of the window of your office Kazuya, what was it you saw? Was it not the beauty of a world that lived under your dominion, that catered to your every whim, that symbolised your own power because you owned it!"

Kazuya remained silent, only inwardly marvelling at the brilliant lunacy of his father. Heihachi, goaded into action by his silence, lashed out with his foot and such was its violence that Kazuya felt the blood flow freely to his mouth.

"Answer me!" Heihachi roared, his voice grating in the stillness of the night.

Kazuya closed his eyes and remembered the lights of the city as he'd looked down on it. he remembered how it was he used to feel. He opened his eyes again and answered, his throat choked with blood.

"At first I felt all that you say," he rasped. "I felt power and might and greatness. But then all I saw when I looked at the city was something I hated. All I saw was your face. It meant nothing to me. Power meant nothing to me."

Heihachi snarled, his foot smashing down into Kazuya's chest with savage brutality, causing him to splutter more blood.

"And what, pray tell me, _did_ mean something to you Kazuya? The so-called search for truth, for happiness!" He laughed in spite of himself, a deranged bark of a laugh. "Happiness! Nothing more than an empty concept devised by man to comfort him in times of adversity!" He laughed again at his own philosophy, almost seeming to forget Kazuya as he praised his own genius. "What are these things, happiness, truth, justice? Can you tell me that? How do men know when they are happy? What is happiness? Men spend their whole lives looking for it, and in the end they achieve nothing!" He lowered his face to within an inch of his son's, his features twisted, sinister. "Power is the only thing that stands as truly as truth itself is bent and shackled. There is no grey area in power. There is only black and white. Instead of fighting for empty concepts like truth and justice, why not fight for power instead? Instead of trying to achieve 'happiness', why not aim for power? Power is not an empty concept. Power is_ real_."

"Power is corrupting," Kazuya spoke on a laboured breath.

"Yes and why not?" Heihachi cried, rising and moving to face the city, ecstasy on his face. "To feel the fear of those underneath you, those weak nothings! To me, _that_ is true happiness!" He paused, the climax of his theory fading away. After a moment or so, he turned back to Kazuya. "Why can you not understand the simplicity of it all? The world cares nothing for the complications of those empty philosophies. It moves on away! This," and he spread out his arms wide against the backdrop of the city, "_this_ is the better way."

"And to help me see this you planted the Devil inside me," Kazuya breathed, swiping the back of his hand across his bloodied mouth.

"Yes." Heihachi nodded. "And that was my greatest mistake. Instead of making you stronger, the Devil sought to make itself stronger. It craved the Mishima power. It became my rival. It must not be allowed to control the Mishima any longer. _I_ must be the one who has the power. No one else must share it with me."

"You will not live forever," Kazuya informed him quietly.

"I know," Heihachi conceded with a frown. "And it was my plan that you, my blood son, would carry on the line. But you wouldn't understand. Even now you look on the family ideal with contempt. You think you have found redemption in turning your back on it, but all you will find is hell."

"I have found no redemption, father," Kazuya returned. "But away from here I have found what I wanted. I have found happiness."

The blood drained from Heihachi's face, and the wild look came into his eyes again. "Happiness!" he shrieked, and for a second the word echoed like the laugh of a hyena on the still, silent air. With a scream of crazed violence, Heihachi pounced on the other and lashed out with both fists in a fit of disgust and rage. Such was his vehemence that he hardly cared to check the swing of his knuckles. Kazuya made no attempt to hold him back. He had known this would happen. Despite his growing weakness, he still felt like laughing. Here and now all was laid out before him, he could see it as clearly as day. Perhaps he would die facing it, but he did not care as long as he finally knew the truth – that he was being set free. Something was telling him to give into this moment, that this was meant to happen, that he would be protected, that through this he would overcome his father, the Mishima, everything, forever.

He would return.

When Heihachi stopped, it must have been minutes later. There was blood dripping from his hands, both his own and Kazuya's, and as he noticed the faint smile on Kazuya's split and shattered face, a suddenly impotent, even frightened glow entered his eyes.

"Why are you smiling?" he demanded, shaking the bloodied and broken body before him. "Why are you smiling, Kazuya?"

"Because…I am happy," he murmured, as though delirious.

'Shut up! Shut up!" Heihachi cried, shaking him again. "Even in death you defy me!"

Kazuya laughed weakly at his words, gazed without fear into the other's eyes.

"Know this, father," he spat, choking on his own blood. "There will be another. Another child of the Mishima. The blood-line continues."

"What!" Once again, Hehiachi's face was filled with foreboding. "You mean… _your_ child?" He stopped, began again, a look of realization crossing his lined features. "The Kazama girl…"

Kazuya smiled again.

"The Devil will want a new vessel…you see, it's not ended… not really…"

"Heihachi's expression was one of fury, fury and helplessness.

"Damn you, Kazuya! Damn you!"

Still, the smile did not leave Kazuya's face.

"You see, now I'm stronger than you, father… Not because I'm going to have a child… but because… I no longer hate you…father…"

He stopped, his last word lingering poignantly on his final breath. Then the word ended, and the silently smiling face said no more. For a moment Heihachi said nothing, but gazed vacantly at the unintentional expression of defiance on the lifeless face before him. Then, with a snort of disgust, he threw the body down and spat on it with contempt, feeling nothing but hate for the son whose life he had just taken.

But Kazuya's body took no heed of that hate, as it lay, crimson blood staining the pure white snow beneath it. For now – at least for a while – Kazuya was free.

-oOo-

* * *

_Next: The aftermath of Kazuya's death..._


	20. Last Goodbye to Evil

**A/N:** Well, this is practically it, folks - just a really short epilogue to upload and then it's all over... Thanks for the joining the ride, my friends, and thanks even more for sharing your thoughts and comments - it meant a lot.

Ciao.

-_Ludi x_**

* * *

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**(19) Last Goodbye to Evil**

Lee Chaolan had settled down for the night to watch a dirty movie when he had been amazed to find himself being interrupted by someone knocking on his door – politely, it was true, but it was far from usual considering he'd expressly told his guards he was to have no one disturb him that night. Muttering to himself, he got up and opened to the door to see a security guard standing apologetically on the other side.

"What is it?" Lee asked irately, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"I'm sorry, sir," the man replied uncomfortably, "but Mr. Mishima wishes to see you urgently. He's on the fiftieth floor."

"Heihachi?" Lee spoke the name to himself. "What could he want me for at this time of the night?"

Sending the guard away, Lee hastily made his way to the topmost floor. It was there that he saw his father, standing over a body in the snow. As Lee came closer the features of the corpse became apparent to him. He did a double-take, his mouth and eyes wide open. For a split second he couldn't breathe let alone speak.

"Father," he finally managed to spit out. "What have you done?"

Heihachi ignored the question and beckoned to his adopted son, his voice quite calm.

"Come here."

Lee did so, shocked into obedience. It was only when he stood beside his father and looked down into the staring eyes of the crushed and broken face that it finally sunk in.

"Kazuya?" he exclaimed as if to clarify the ridiculous truth. "Kazuya's dead?"

"Yes." Heihachi's voice was emotionless. "And look what I found on him."

Lee found it hard to tear his eyes away from the corpse. When he finally did so, he saw that Heihachi was holding out a small bunch of keys to him. He took them, swallowing hard. This was too much. He couldn't fathom it, even with the evidence plain before his eyes. Turning away from the body of his brother, he examined the bundle carefully.

"They're his apartment keys," Heihachi informed his adopted son before Lee could get a word out. His tone was coldly clinical. "They could tell us where he's been staying. Do you recognize them, son?"

"Yes," Lee answered presently, looking up. "They belong to his flat in Ginza." He paused. "Why?"

Heihachi placed a finger against his lips, his expression thoughtful. After a moment of rumination, he spoke.

"Lee, you are a faithful son, and I know that I can trust in you."

Lee stood still, listening with a sense of dread. Whatever had happened here this night was beyond even him, and he felt that to play a part in it would be dangerous. He knew Heihachi was going to ask him to do something. Do what? Dispose of the body? Lee had disposed of many bodies in his life. That in itself did not worry him. but when he thought of the vacant, staring eyes of his adopted brother, the one who had forgiven him not long before… something stuck hard in his throat, a gut-wrenching fear he had never felt before, and he could not push it down.

"What is it that you want me to do, father?" he asked, his voice dry.

Heihachi looked up, a grimace on his face.

"Kazuya is dead, yes, but his soul is not." He sneered down at the body in the snow. "Even in death he lives on. And the Devil will live on too." He raised his eyes to Lee's again. "The Kazama girl is pregnant with his child. If the child is allowed to live, then the Devil will claim its soul and become a threat to me – and our empire – once more."

He stopped. Lee said nothing. Once again, he could not speak. He knew what Heihachi was going to ask. But Heihachi didn't know what he was asking for. It would be too much. Lee did not think that he would be able to do it. But perhaps he could. Perhaps he _would._ What choice did he have in the matter? Heihachi had no idea how Lee felt about these things. It was natural for him to ask his favourite son to carry out his orders.

"Lee," Heihachi was speaking again. "It is up to us to secure – no, to defend – what is rightfully ours. It is _our_ duty to rid the Mishima Empire of its enemies." He paused. "I want you to dispose of the Kazama girl for me. I don't care how you do it, just make sure that both she and the child are dead."

Lee's stomach clenched. He didn't look at Heihachi. He could not. Heihachi continued.

"Once they are gone, our empire will be secure. You will inherit the Mishima Zaibatsu knowing that there will be no threat from the legacy of feebleness that began with Kazuya. Do you understand me?"

Lee nodded, his throat icy. Heihachi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Good. Then make sure you carry out your task."

He turned and began to walk back towards the lifts. Lee, now suddenly able to move, called out to him.

"Father!"

Heihachi turned, his face expectant. Lee spoke, this time with more confidence.

"What about the body!"

Heihachi's face darkened.

"I'll take care of it myself," he replied, already walking again, as though the matter were a trivial one. "But first, I must call for a helicopter."

He disappeared into the lift without once turning back. Lee stared after him for a moment or two, his eyes reflective. Then, turning slowly, he knelt down beside the body of his brother, a look of resolution on his face.

"You were right, Kazuya," he murmured. "I couldn't protect you from our father. But I will protect Jun from him, at whatever cost."

With this last promise fresh inside his mind, Lee reached out and closed the lids over Kazuya's dead and staring eyes.

* * *

Lee stepped inside Kazuya's apartment, slowly closing the door behind him, listening warily as it clicked ominously into place. Lee was used to stealth – becoming a part of the darkness, the night. Nothing could be heard throughout the house. It was completely in silence. 

He had been in this apartment before. Kazuya had rarely made use of the various places he owned, and so Lee had stolen the keys at liberty and taken his many girlfriends up to them for the night. As such, he had no difficulty in finding his way through the apartment to the familiar bedroom. It was just a matter of keeping as quiet as he could.

He finally reached the room he had been looking for. Opening the door with measured movements, he stepped inside. From his position against the door, he could make out the outline of Jun on the double bed, lying stretched out on her back. the regular sound of her breathing was the only noise that permeated the dark silence of the room. From this, Lee could quickly surmise that she was asleep.

He moved forwards, round the edge of the bed, to the side she was sleeping on. For a moment, he paused. From here, he could see her more clearly; her face, innocent and vulnerable in sleep. He remembered waking up beside her that night, of seeing the same look on her dreaming face. He grimaced. All this time and he still felt the same way about her.

Reaching out a hand, he shook her gently on the shoulder. She stirred, a name forming on her lips.

"Kazuya…?" she murmured, her eyes slowly opening.

In the darkness of the room she could not immediately discern the face of the person who had woken her. All Jun knew was that it was not Kazuya. The scream formed involuntarily in her throat, but before she could let it out the stranger had clamped a hand over her mouth. Jun struggled, her heart beating savagely. Her first thought was that this was someone sent to murder her. Her legs flailed away, but the size of her stomach prevented her from lifting them high enough. Her hands were her only option now, but before she could use them she heard the familiar voice of her supposed aggressor.

"Shhh, Jun, it's me! It's me, Lee!"

She stopped, and with her eyes now focused, she saw that it really was Lee who was sitting on the bed beside her. When he saw that she had calmed, he removed his hand and let her breathe freely.

"Lee!" she exclaimed in a half-whisper after she had caught her breath. "My God, you scared the living daylights out of me!"

"I'm sorry," he said, sitting back. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine," she nodded, then looked about her. "How come you're here? Where's Kazuya?"

Lee looked away from her, his tone quiet.

"Jun… Kazuya's dead."

For a second Jun could not believe it. She wanted to laugh in his face, call him a liar. But then, seeing the seriousness of his expression, the instinct fell from her, and a cold fear touched her heart.

"Kazuya…" she half whispered. "Dead…?"

Lee nodded slowly, knowing the pain he was causing her. "Yes, it's true. Heihachi killed him, just this very night. I didn't even belief it myself until he showed me."

Jun could not bring herself to say a thing. Her hopes, her dreams, her love, her very own being – suddenly it all seemed to fall away from her, lost and futile. With a low cry of anguish she dropped her head into her hands and wept. Then, suddenly remembering that Lee was beside her, she raised her head and wiped shakily at her eyes.

"So…Heihachi killed him." She laughed weakly. "We both knew it would happen some time." She looked up at the silent face of Lee. "But why are you here? Just to tell me this?"

Lee grimaced. "Heihachi told me to kill you," he replied, then, seeing the fear on Jun's face, he spoke again quickly. "Don't worry, Jun. I won't hurt you."

"Why?" she inquired, her tone questioning.

"Do you think I could?" he returned, standing up and facing the window, observing the twinkling city outside. "Do you think I could hurt you Jun?"

She noted the softer note to his voice and shook her head, even though he couldn't see the action.

"No," she answered shortly. "I don't think you could."

"I never did tell you how I felt," he said, still not looking at her. "Well, I did, but you didn't understand me."

"I think I understand now," she murmured.

"Do you?" he returned, swinging round to face her again. "The only person you felt anything for was Kazuya. When he confused you, when you weren't sure where this game would lead you – even then your feelings for him were there. What was I supposed to do? What could I do?"

"You did what you felt was right," she ventured, hoping to comfort him.

"What I felt was right," he repeated with a tone of irony. "And what do you suppose I think is 'right' now?"

"That to kill me and my child is wrong."

He nodded. "Heihachi wishes to destroy all that is left of Kazuya. Apparently the Devil will want to reclaim the soul of Kazuya's child. All he wishes to do is be rid of his rival for power – the Devil. His intentions are purely selfish."

"I can protect our child from the Devil," Jun assured him softly. "As long as I am the vessel for the Angel, I will be able to keep the Devil at bay."

"I realise that," Lee replied, leaning towards her again on the bed. "Listen carefully to me, Jun. I'm not going to try to make a right by doing a wrong. Killing you and the child would solve nothing. There must be some other way of destroying the Devil. Jun, you've already defeated the Devil once. That's something I've never seen anyone who had that power before. What's to stop you from using that power again?" He paused, his tone became quieter. "But Jun, Heihachi won't be so understanding. If he sees you he'll kill you. You've got to get away from here, Jun. It's not safe."

"But what if he finds me again?" she whispered back urgently.

"Heihachi trusts me, he'll believe me when I say I've killed you. I'll tell him I disposed of your body. He won't think to look for you."

She looked up at him, eyes wide. "Lee…"

He smiled wanly at her. "No – there's no need to thank me, Jun. I couldn't have done anything else but this." He stood up as if to go, but before he could reach the door she stopped him.

"Lee, wait."

He halted and turned back to her. "What?"

"Lee," she began carefully, "come with me. I need you. Come with me."

"You know I can't do that."

"Why?"

"Heihachi would know you were still alive. He'd chase us to the ends of the earth."

"Then why not break away from the Mishima?" she persisted earnestly. "Why not turn your back on Heihachi?"

"Jun, the Mishima is my life."

"I know, but…"

"Jun, you don't need me. You don't want me. You need someone who is strong, like Kazuya. I couldn't be that someone."

"You _are_ strong," she tried to reassure him, but he shook his head.

"No, Jun, I am weak. I am weak because I am not strong enough to turn my back on what I hate the most. The Mishima." He stopped as if to reflect on the word. "But I am bound to them. I am bound to them in blood, by _their_ blood – blood that has stained my own fists." Jun stared at him, confused at his uncharacteristically cryptic words. He gave her a side-glance and continued: "There's no sense in saving me, Jun. I know you want to make me remember the way it was before Heihachi adopted me into his way of life. But I can't break away. Perhaps I'm too afraid." He smiled in self-mockery. "Try not to think less of me for that. I can't do much good round here. This is the only bit of good I can do, so I'll do it unreservedly."

He turned again, his hand on the doorknob. Jun stared up at him in dismay, knowing that she would not see him again. With a sudden surge of regret, she jumped out of bed and crossed the room towards him.

"Lee…"

He looked down at her, aware of his closeness to her. He reached out of her, hungry for what he wanted, unable to think of anything else. His hand touched her waist and he felt the subtle thickening of her middle. The desire in his face fell, and he dropped his hand quickly.

"You know I want nothing more than to be with you," he said intensely. "But you know I can't do it."

She lowered her head, understanding his words.

"Lee…"

He placed a finger on her lips.

"Jun, you must leave quickly, before Heihachi comes back." He opened the door, crossed the threshold. "Goodbye, Jun. Take care of yourself. And the child."

With those parting words, he swivelled round and left the room, closing the door gently behind him.

-oOo-

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_Next: Epilogue!_


	21. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

It was without emotion that Heihachi had sat in the helicopter and stared down at the lifeless body of his son. For now he truly thought that his worries for the future had disappeared, that he had been rid of the thing that he hated most. Life seemed to be free of all obstacles, and Heihachi could face a future full of power just as he always did – with a grim sense of his own supremacy, of his ability to wreak his will on all. Now there would be no boundaries now to his rule. Or so he thought.

The helicopter hovered over the site of a wide volcano. It was here that Heihachi had told the pilot to stop. With an understated strength he lifted Kazuya's dead body in his arms and carried it to the open door. There were no real thoughts in his head as he did this. To him this act was as commonplace as swatting a fly from his arm; more a reflex action than anything borne out of a conscious decision. Still, this was something that had to be done. And with the Kazama girl and the child gone, there would be no 'vessel' for the Devil to consume. Not even Kazuya could be brought back to life. His body would be burnt to a cinder.

With this comforting assurance in Heihachi's mind, he dropped the body down towards the gaping, spurting chasm of the volcano and watched as Heihachi disappeared into the raging fires, and off the face of the earth.

A cold, twisted smile touched Heihachi's face. Kazuya was dead. Jun was dead. The child was dead.

But the Mishima would live on.

**- END -**

-oOo-

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Afterword**

This was written in the good old days of 1998-1999, and since then the Tekken world has evolved a lot, and so much of what was written here has become outdated and irrelevant. There are also so many stories I would've liked to include - I had plans for Yoshimitsu/Kunimitsu, Paul and Law that I couldn't possibly write without the entire story becoming convoluted. And since then, there are many more stories I would've liked to have added to this one.

At about the same time this was written, my sister and I bought a Japanese Tekken 2 guide, which my sister is now able to read. Whole new stories opened up after reading this guide - in particular, the fact that Wang and Jinpachi brought up Lee Chaolan to bring down the Mishima Zaibatsu; that after the first Tekken tournament Lee supposedly murdered Jinpachi and went 'rogue'. Also, I wanted to write about Kunimitsu's quest to steal Yoshimitsu's sword, or Wang's plan to actively use Jun as a pawn to destroy the Devil in Kazuya.There are so many things that I would like to add, and even more I would like to change because they don't quite ring true - especially in the light of Tekken 5's events - but sadly the chance for it has now passed.

So really, this story is the skeleton of something much bigger and epic than the one right here before you - I just don't have the time or energy to rewrite it anymore. The whole Tekken franchise is just too large and sprawling for me to handle anymore. I did start to write a sequel focusing on Jin, with Hwoarang, Ling Xiaoyu, Nina, Anna, Eddy, Julia and Lei as the main characters, but this didn't progress further than a couple of chapters, so I don't know whether I'll post it here, unless you, the reader, thinks it's worth it.

Nevertheless, for all you Tekken fans out there, I just want to say a big thanks to those of you who took the time to read this story, and an extra special thanks to those who took the effort to comment - especially to Dr. Brief's Cat, who gave me some pretty insightful food for thought. I hope you all enjoyed the ride as much as I enjoyed posting - it's good to know all that feverish writing wasn't a waste of my teenage time. ;)

-_Ludi_, Sept. 2005.


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